If You Can Meet With Triumph And Disaster
by Jackdawess
Summary: Hermione had met with dangers and challenges all her life, could she face and survive even more? Of the body, mind and heart? Mature, adult themes throughout. Sex, some violence, moderate language and quidditch. Mostly HG/GW with a little HG/RW & GW/HP
1. Chapter 1

**If You Can Meet With Triumph And Disaster...**

Hermione had met with dangers and challenges all her life, could she face and survive even more? Of the body, mind and heart? Mature, adult themes throughout. Sex, some violence, moderate language and quidditch. Mostly HG/GW with a little HG/RW & GW/HP

**New A/N Note made 18 Sept 2012: **** I've recently been aware that several people have been reading this story for the first time. I'm also aware that this story is littered with typos, grammatical errors and other things. I was just using WordPad at the time and wasn't very good at checking back on things and making sure it read correctly. I hope to eventually go through the whole thing and correct the errors and polish it up a little. If I ever get the time. It definitely shows it was my first public story...I've got a little better since. Oh well, we all have to start somewhere. :)**

**A/N:**** This is my first story I've decided to put online. It might seem to take a few chapters to get going, but I like to elaborate on things and set things up. but I promise it does go somewhere. I should say that I have actually completed this story before beginning to post the chapters, so you will have a complete story to read in the end. (About 48 similar sized chapters to this first one) After reading some of this you might not think I like Hermione much...but I honestly love the character, which is why I put her through this particular story to show again what she's made of. I will occasionally have chapters where not much happens just to involve some characters I love and visit with them.**

**WARNINGS:**** This is an ****adult**** story with adult themes. There is ****sex****, mostly lesbian, but it's not smut for the sake of it, and is in context with the way I've written the characters. It is explicit at times, but again not distasteful or sick. There is some ****violence****, which includes a storyline I won't reveal here, in case it spoils it. Again I've tried to keep the violence in context and appropriate, it may offend some, but I consider it fairly tame compared to some I've read. There is moderate ****bad language****, mainly fairly mild British slang, and where anything stronger is used, it is again in context and not every other word.**

**I have always loved both the humour and sadness that flows through the world of Harry Potter and I hope I'll be able to make you both laugh and cry...you might do the latter, if you think it's really bad! LOL I can be really sappy at times, so you have been warned. I've mostly kept to known post-Deathly Hallows 'canon' but have twisted a few things for my own plans. I've also used some quidditch. The whole story will be mostly from Hermione's POV.**

**As usual, J.K. Rowling owns the main characters and I've only borrowed them... Other characters are my own invention.**

**The story is set four years after the battle at Hogwarts. Towards the end of summer. **

1

The Burrow was still the same, even after everything that had happened, sitting proudly, if slightly dishevelled, in the Devon countryside. Harry and Hermione were still regular visitors and always stayed several days and sometimes weeks at a time. Mrs Weasley wouldn't have it any other way. Her hope was for several weddings of her brood in the near future and the sound of more feet up and down the rickety stairs.

Once the dust and rubble had settled from the Battle with Voldemort, Harry, Ron and Hermione had been tempted to return to Hogwarts and complete their seventh year. But to say it would have been awkward was an understatement. The teachers and the Ministry all agreed that the three of them, along with many of the other students, had performed above and beyond the requirement for top marks in their NEWTS. Hermione still insisted on actually sitting her exams, which she did in one week; with the advanced magic she had been using, Ginny was fast-tracked immediately and sat the exams with her, along with Luna, Neville and few of the others involved at the deep end of the War. Hermione got top marks, of course, and Ginny wasn't far behind.

Hermione had found her parents in Australia soon after the end of the war. They hadn't been too happy when things were explained to them. Her parents had made a brand new life for themselves Down Under and decided to stay there. In truth, since Hermione had been accepted into Hogwarts, things had been strained and distant between herself and her parents. She had been independent in many ways for so long, that she just accepted that sadly, they wouldn't be in her life much any more.

Harry and Ron were happy to just get their NEWTS without the need for exams. Harry lived at Grimmauld Place, with Kreacher still insisting on running the house for him. Thankfully the decor was much less dark and depressing now. It actually looked like a home these days, rather than a large dusty attic. Ron lived some of the time at home, but most of his time at Grimmauld Place with Harry.

For now, all three were involved with the Ministry, but almost freelance in the various areas they worked in. They were called upon for observing or aiding particularly difficult cases with aurors and other departments with Harry and Ron being first class aurors in their own right. Hermione was interested in the cases that turned up on House Elves; the ones in the employ of former Death Eaters, and helped devise a kind of rehabilitation for them. She didn't spend as much time at the Ministry as the other two, but was called in for special work that required her very own brand of logic and experience.

Hermione was also involved in examing lots of the old magical laws which had encouraged prejudice to people of less than pureblood status. In truth, she would have felt a little claustrophobic had she had an ordinary 9am-5pm job there; she enjoyed her position the way it was, with her high level of automony. She had a nice small, but comfortable flat on the outskirts of London, and had furnished it with a mixture of muggle and magical items.

Ginny had had many options from both the athletic and academic world, but currently she was signed up and playing for one of the leading quidditch teams, the Holyhead Harpies, in Wales. She had originally been there on a trial, fresh from Hogwarts, but her skills were so apparent in the few practice games she played for them, that the Harpies were soon working out a signing-on fee and contract with her. As much as the training could be hard, she did get a _lot_ of time off, especially in the off-season. Hermione suspected, that had Ginny been a muggle she would have been playing sport for someone like the Arsenal ladies football team or for the England women's cricket or rugby team. She was so agile and naturally sporty and thought nothing of getting a bruise or two or giving out bruises herself.

After a couple of years, Ginny had finally acquired a nice cottage on Anglesey, not all that far from the Harpies training facilities; but oddly only her parents had ever been there, as she always came back to the Burrow for meet-ups and get togethers.

For the moment, everyone was spending a few days at the Burrow for the middle of summer, enjoying some time away from the rest of the magical world. Hermione had a few days off, and while the Burrow had always been a haven for Harry, it had quickly become one for Hermione too. Except being older now, did bring its complications...

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, are you going to say 'yes'?" Ginny asked.

Hermione ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "No."

They were sitting on the edge of the two beds in Ginny's room, facing each other. Hermione always shared this room with Ginny since the very first time she visited.

"Oh. Is that just a 'no' or a never in this lifetime 'no'?" the red-haired young woman asked expectantly.

"I'm fairly sure it's a lifetime of 'no'."

"Can I ask why?"

"He's your brother, you must know some of the reasons!" Hermione laughed, trying to make the whole conversation less tense. "I love Ron, but I'm not in love with him. And as comfortable as I am with him, I don't want to be married to him. My heart just isn't there for him on that."

The brunette felt genuinely sad that she didn't have the right feelings for Ron and that she wouldn't be making Ron and his mother very happy. Ginny looked thoughtful for a few moments, part of her also sad, but knowing her brother the way she did, she wasn't sure she would wish him on any poor woman.

"You'll have to tell him soon Hermione. The longer you leave it, the worse it will all get."

"I know. It's just that I don't want to become the bringer of doom, we've all had enough of that feeling to last several lifetimes."

"Hermione you're going to hurt him to begin with anyway, just get it over with."

"I'll try to tell him today."

Ginny looked at her friend and sensed there was something she wasn't saying. "So, can I ask, is one of the reasons the fact you have someone else?"

Hermione nearly choked and perhaps replied a little too fast. "No!"

Ginny studied her hard, she wasn't sure she was detecting a lie, but at the same time she almost had the feeling she had stepped on a toe and got near to something.

"It's OK, you don't have to tell me."

"I don't have someone else!" Hermione said with a slightly raised, incredulous voice. "Where the hell did I get time for that, especially with Ron nearly glued to my side for the past few years?"

"I believe you Herm. But if you ever need to just talk, you know I'm always here and always willing to listen." She stood up and walked over to her friend, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "And especially to hear some juicy gossip...for my ears only, of course!" Ginny chuckled.

"I know Ginny. You're one of my best friends and I trust you with my life." Ginny squeezed Hermione's shoulder.

"Well, I'm off to see if those buns Mum has been baking are ready yet. Care to join me before the others get to them first?"

"You go on, I'll be down in a minute," Hermione said.

Ginny looked at her friend and smiled, before leaving the room on her quest for her mother's fresh baking.

Hermione watched her friend go, and had Ginny looked back, she would have seen Hermione wearing a far off look and at the same time sorrowful expression. She didn't want to hurt anyone and she certainly didn't want to feel the wrath of Mrs Weasley. But she couldn't marry Ron, she just couldn't; after everything, she didn't want to just make do and settle for him, because they had known each other for so long and had seen so many things together, that no one, other than Harry, could understand. That wasn't enough for a marriage, well, for any marriage that Hermione wanted to be a part of, anyway. She replayed the conversation she had just had with Ginny.

_"So, can I ask, is one of the reasons the fact you have someone else?"_ Hermione answered the question truthfully to herself. _No, I don't have someone else. But I want someone else. They just don't know I exist that way. Even if they did I think it would be too complicated. And I don't want to mess up anyone else's life._

"_But if you ever need to just talk, you know I'm always here and always willing to listen._" Hermione sighed to herself again. _I don't need to talk to you Ginny, I just _need you_. And if _only _you _were _willing..._

There, she had admitted it again to herself. She _did_ have someone else in her life, except only in her dreams really. Ginny was out of reach. She had close access to her, even slept in the same room as her at the Burrow, when she stayed here, but she didn't really _have_ her. Just out of reach and kind of off limits too. How would it look if she turned Ron down, because she preferred his sister?

She had had feelings for the younger woman for a long, long time, but then the War got in the way and things changed for them all. Ginny was a beautiful young woman, highly intelligent, athletic and full of fire and courage. A Gryffindor through and through.

In the last couple of years and especially the last few months of spending so much time at the Burrow again, Hermione's feelings for Ginny had felt incredibly strong again and she knew she loved her very much. It was to the point where she knew she was giving off some kind of signal. Ginny seemed to think she was hiding some juicy details about something or other. She dreaded that she might arrive at the point where she would blurt it out. Then things would change in a big way, and probably not for the better.

Hermione never liked labels for personalities or the way people lived their lives. She had had enough of that with people always metaphorically sticking those labels of "brainy" and "teacher's pet" to her own person. In this case she thought people were people and love was to be treasured. Goodness, from the trauma Voldemort and his followers had forced upon people, any true deep love was a thing of great beauty and value, regardless of whether it was between a man and woman or between two women, and so on.

All Hermione knew was that she had fallen for Ginny a long time ago, and she wanted to hold her in her arms, and be held back by her every day for the rest of her life. If she couldn't have that, then nothing would be good enough, and she would have to try and live with it.

_First things first,_ she thought. _I have to tell Ron my answer_.

She stood up with a groan and made her way downstairs. On arriving in the kitchen, she found Ginny and Mrs Weasley; the few crumbs down the front of Ginny's blue shirt evidence that at least one of those buns had been sampled. Hermione thought about going over and brushing those crumbs off and making fun of her friend. But such an innocent thought turned in a flash to a thought about brushing against Ginny's chest.

_Nooooooo I can't do that. Yes I want to, all the gods and fairies I want to, but I can't trust myself not to give myself away. I'll just point it out then. Noooooooooo, because then she'll think I've been staring at her chest, then I'll start blushing and...and...just don't do anything_.

All these thoughts ran through Hermione's mind at the usual speed her brain worked at, so neither of the other two women ever guessed that the woman in front of them had been having a mental tug-of-war, over something as daft as, whether or not to raise the issue of crumbs down Ginny's front.

"Hermione, dear! You're just in time to try one of these hot," Mrs Weasley said pointing to the trays of freshly baked buns on the kitchen table. "It's a muggle recipe out of that book you bought me for Christmas. I must say that muggle baking powder works like a dream."

Hermione helped herself to a bun and began nibbling at it, trying not to burn her tongue. "Excellent," she said. "How come neither of the boys have got here yet? They usually act like they've got a radar for food?"

"Harry and Ron are playing some quidditch I believe, or at least whizzing about on brooms or something. Why don't you two girls go and find them and take them a couple of these." Mrs Weasley put some of the buns into a lunch box.

Ginny and Hermione made their way out of the house towards the fields where the Weasley's usually played quidditch. Hermione was very quiet, she was wondering whether she could find the courage to tell Ron now. The red-haired girl sensed that her friend might be thinking about that very thing.

"Do you want me to go for a walk with Harry so you can talk to Ron alone?"

"Why did Ron have to ask me to marry him?" Hermione suddenly said in a tired almost pleading voice. "Why couldn't he just have gone off me, and we drifted naturally to a nice solid, completely platonic relationship? No marriage proposals. No making me feel like the wicked witch in some bad fairytale. Arrrggghhhh!"

"Well, he wouldn't be Ron if he didn't make other people's lives awkward," Ginny stated with a slight smirk. Hermione had to grin too.

"OK, I'll do it, after dinner tonight, when it's easier to go off for a walk with him. If things go badly I can disappear or at least have the night to reassess things in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

2

Ginny and Hermione heard Harry and Ron before they saw them. Looking up the two were swerving around on their brooms like mad things, playing an interesting game with two quaffles. Both being thrown at the same time, and the aim of not letting either drop to the ground.

"Hey, you two!" Ginny shouted up. "Mum's sent out some cakes! Get them while they're still warm!"

Ron immediately dropped one of the quaffles, to which Harry claimed a mighty victory. "What?" Ron said looking around. "Oh Ginny, look what you made me do. Why did you have to call up just at that moment? I nearly had Harry!" He was rather red in the face and annoyed.

"Riiiight Ron! You nearly had me? In your dreams!" Harry laughed.

The two lads swept down to the ground, with a still slightly annoyed Ron diving into the box for a bun. He threw an arm around Hermione and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hi there Herm, alright love?"

Hermione felt decidedly awkward and faked a sense of being happy and tried to steer onto something else that didn't involve answering if she was alright or not.

"I'm suprised you didn't descend on the kitchen as soon as your Mum opened the oven door?" she said jokingly.

"Harry and I got a bit involved in our game. I'm hoping I get a rematch soon, right Harry?"

"Definitely!" Harry replied with a grin.

Hermione noticed that Harry had loosely and briefly put an arm around Ginny as he helped himself to a cake. It flared Hermione's inner ire, as it always did, but maybe she felt it more, because of the situation she was in and how desperately she wished a lot of things were _very_ different.

She wasn't sure Ginny and Harry were even an item anymore; those two seemed more on and off than a kettle, and the "off" periods were usually instigated by Harry for some fairly weak reason he invented for why they couldn't be together. Just when she thought it was finally "it" for them, she would arrive for the next Burrow meet-up, glance up and find them all gooey-eyed with each other again.

The four sat down on the grass and chatted about quite mundane things. There was always a battered old comfy chair or two out where the Weasley's played quidditch, but they all opted for the grass this afternoon.

Harry and Ron had been to the Ministry the day before and had caught up on some news of other people they knew. How Neville was definitely going to be to become a Herbology teacher and that Harry himself had been offered a similar position for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He refused, saying he felt he was too young for that at the moment, but he didn't rule it out for the future.

Luna was involved in some strange missions in rounding up rogue death eaters. Somehow her funky glasses for looking for wrackspurts seemed to tune into a person bearing the dark mark. She was also pioneering all kinds of things for various other departments at the Ministry too. She was always able to see to the very truth of the matter, under all her slightly strange ways and mannerisms, you could never lie to Luna and she would always see the answer to a question that had yet to be asked. Her freedom and directness was rather refreshing in a world so full of insincerity.

Sitting and chatting like this, nearly made it feel like old times. Of times sitting down by the lake in the grounds of Hogwarts at weekends and breaks. Of course it wasn't, but just for a time it was nice to feel a sense of normality and slight nostalgia again.

All too soon it was time to head back to the house for dinner. As soon as they started walking back, Hermione could feel her stomach churn. It was getting nearer to having that talk with Ron.

Dinner was fairly uneventful. Mr. Weasley was slightly late, as he had been called out on a case, to remove a spell that had been put on some muggle traffic lights. He didn't really understand the traffic lights at all, but he removed the spell some joker had put on them and when he saw that no more cars crashed into each other, he assumed he had done the job right.

It was still very poignant, and always would be, that Fred's place at the table was empty. George was rarely home these days. He had continued the business, in Fred's memory and it had been so successful he had employed several assistants to help with the shop in Diagon Alley, the new branch in Hogsmeade and the Owl Order side of the business.

Things with Percy were still not completely comfortable, but even before Percy had basically defected from the family, he had always been a pompous prat and acted like he had a thistle up his back passage. He was forgiven and back into the hug of the Burrow, but it still felt like he kept things slightly at arm's length. Hermione was sure she was not alone in thinking it would have been more justice if Percy had died instead of Fred. As bad as that felt, to prefer someone else dead, and to think of someone being better dead at all, that was her feeling, and she knew that some of the other Weasley's felt that way deep down too. But it would probably only be Auntie Muriel with enough guts to voice that opinion.

Charlie was still in Romania, with Mrs. Weasley actually saying she had more chance of a dragon grandchild than a human one from him. And Bill was completely devoted to life with Fleur, although the patter of tiny feet didn't seem to be on their agenda yet. However that left the people that were mainly there all the times Hermione stayed anyway. The tight knit group of Harry, Ron, Ginny and herself. Oh if only it was all that simple, and they were back in their Hogwart's robes, discussing timetables and what a git Snape was for taking points from their House.

_Come on Hermione, you're a Gryffindor_, she said to herself. So as the dessert plates were being levitated away to the kitchen, to wash themselves, she turned to Ron.

"Let's go for a walk."

She had this horrible feeling he would be awkward and either say "why?" or "not now." Luckily he agreed and they made their way out of the kitchen door.

Once they had gone a few yards, Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her along behind a large shrub out of view of the house, put his arms around her and planted a kiss on her lips. Hermione tensed up and pushed Ron back.

"What?" he asked surprised. "What's wrong? No one can see us here. It was George told me about the advantage of this shrub."

"Ron we need to talk," Hermione said seriously.

"Can't I give you a kiss before we talk?" he asked smirking. "I'm hoping you have an answer to something, then I can give you another kiss?"

Exasperated, Hermione almost barked at him "RON!"

He stopped, letting his arms fall to his sides, his subconcious had guessed something was up, even if the normal part of his brain was slow to catch on. He had a look of realization on his face now, that all was not well.

"Ron, I'm sorry, but no, I can't marry you. I'm so sorry, I really am. I want to break up with you." Her eyes filled with tears, although for the moment she refused to shed them.

"What? Hermione, you can have longer to think about it if you need to, you can't mean no? I love you, I always have. I want to spend my life with you," the red-haired man pleaded.

"Ron I love you, but I'm not _in_ love with you. You're one of my very best friends, and I hope you always will be, but I can't marry you. It would be living a lie." She could feel her eyes begin to almost itch with her unshed tears.

"I've loved you for years, Hermione. I know you better than anyone. Aren't married people supposed to be best friends? We have that already, and you do love me, you said so?"

"Like a brother Ron, that's how I love you. I can't marry you, it's not fair to either of us."

"You keep saying you _can't_ marry me? _Can't_? Why? Do you have another man? Is that it? Some brainy turd you met at the Ministry?" Ron said desperately, with a touch of anger now.

"NO! There's no one else!"

She was telling the truth, the person she wanted to be with couldn't be her "someone else", so she felt free of guilt in saying so.

"Am I crap in bed, then?" Ron asked. His desperation and difficulty with the whole situation had allowed him to be more candid than he intended.

"What?" Hermione almost spluttered out. "No you were fine Ron. That's got nothing to do with it."

"I was _fine_? That's not exactly glowing is it?" he managed to say through gritted teeth.

"Ron, our sexual activites have had nothing to do with me refusing your marriage proposal, OK?" Hermione replied. "I'll never regret the first time we slept together." This seemed to pacify him a great deal, he could see her honesty.

She and Ron first slept together a day after the final battle at Hogwarts. They were both battered mentally and physically from everything. Ron was distraught with the loss of Fred and an Apparating trip to the Leaky Cauldron to get away from everything had resulted in them renting a room there. They needed to hold onto something to make sense of those last few days and they had turned and held on to each other.

Even now, with everything being said and how long she had felt things for Ginny, she didn't regret making love with Ron that night. They both needed it. He had been a better lover than she had imagined. She had once read in a rather ridiculous muggle magazine that you had to watch how men ate their food to get a sense of how they would be in bed. Years of watching Ron eating should have put her off therefore, but she was pleasantly surprised that the magazine was wrong.

Ron had been gentle with her, despite their need for each other. Thankfully he hadn't grabbed at her breasts like a couple of bread rolls(that magazine got that part wrong too!), but held them gently and rubbed his thumbs over her hardening nipples, before kissing and sucking on each and worshiping them, eliciting moans from her. Their situation had lifted all her insecurities about her body and she strangely wasn't at all bothered by being naked beneath Ron. Neither had had much to drink, so it wasn't alcohol affecting her lack of inhibitions

He had kissed every inch of her neck, chest and stomach and surprising to her he had kissed her deeply on the lips as his hand moved down between her legs. He stopped briefly to look at her, almost asking permission to touch her most intimate place. She simply looked at him and pulled his face down to kiss him. Almost immediately he had slid his fingers over her clit and seemed to know what he was doing. Her hips had begun to move and she couldn't stop the moans and pants she was producing. She suspected that he had been reading that book, she and Ginny knew, both Ron and Harry owned. At that moment, Hermione was glad that the only book Ron had read through completely had instructed him how to touch her _therrrrrrrrrrrrreeee..._

To think on it now, she found it almost hard to believe of herself, how forward she was that night. But she had reached down between them and touched Ron. He was very hard already and she wanted him inside her. "Now, Ron, please" she had panted. He briefly picked up his wand from the bedside table and pointed it at a pack of condoms he had bought. And voila, protection..._magic was bloody wonderful,_ they both thought!

Very gently he had eased himself into her, not wanting to cause her any more pain than he had to. He must have been doing something right, because he met very little resistance and slid into her easily. Hermione grunted slightly as she felt him inside her, more surprised by the experience than feeling any real discomfort. And with very little pause she started to move her hips out of need and they settled into a rhythm.

Neither of them had felt like this before. All the tension and pain and misery of recent days and they were able to do this very beautiful act. Ron still placed a hand between them to keep brushing over her sensitve bud. Hermione could feel her orgasm coming and Ron could sense her squeezing his manhood and pumped into her faster. Ron came, just as Hermione was reaching her climax. _Surely that must have been magic too, way too clichéd_, she thought later. She had never felt anything like it. They slept in each other's arms and woke late the next morning.

Standing here now, thinking on it all, she still felt in awe of how that moment had been. But it didn't change how she felt. She really thought she was in love with Ron after that night, but it soon became apparent that she didn't really feel that way.

They had made love many, many times since, over the past few years, but in the cold, harsh light of day, or in this case, back to real life, she didn't feel anything with Ron anymore and was very apathetic towards sleeping with him. She had had to put him off a lot of times, either with tiredness, her period, or went through with it, but found it almost impossible to climax. Most of the times she had been thinking of Ginny, but then felt rotten to the core afterwards, for living a lie with Ron. She had been so evasive in recent months she suspected that Ron thought she was frigid.

"I just don't understand," Ron said, sounding kind of dumbstruck, bringing her back to the present.

"There's nothing to understand really. You haven't done anything wrong. It's not about you, Ron. It's me, and how I feel. I can't lie to you, and if I married you, it would be a lie and it wouldn't work, and then everyone would be even more hurt when the marriage broke down."

A tear had managed to roll down her cheek now. She did truly regret having to break this to Ron, but in the long run, it was for the best.

"Do you need more time? Is there any chance you would change your mind? What if we didn't see each other for a couple of weeks and see that seperation thing making the heart grow fonder?" Ron was thinking of everything he could to get Hermione to give him hope of her saying yes eventually.

"I'm sorry Ron. I've been thinking on us and your proposal for a couple of weeks now, but in truth I've known what my answer would be for a long time. I hoped, I truly did, that I might be able to make this work between us. I just don't feel that way and it's not the kind of thing that will change with time or seperation." Hermione had tears falling from both eyes now.

Ron had seemed to go very quiet and subdued, which was much more preferable to Hermione, than the raging anger she had expected.

"Mum will be disappointed," he uttered in a low voice.

"Yes. Had we still been at Hogwarts I'd expect a howler from her or worse," Hermione sighed, wondering with some nervousness what the reception would be like from the Weasley matriarch. "As it is, I at least expect the silent treatment for a long time."

"Well, it's not really her business is it?" Ron surprised her. "She's a control freak and has all these plans in her mind for grandchildren and everyone married off happily. She'll get over it eventually." He looked down at his feet. "Probably sooner than I ever will," he mumbled more to himself than anything.

They sat down on the ground for a while, and oddly spoke of some more Hogwarts memories. Ron's experience of puking slugs, Hagrid trying to romance Madame Maxime, and so on, but they all seemed to come back to incidents involving them both in high tension moments, when they had relied on each other or had been arguing from pent up emotion.

The pair of them were both silent for several minutes, lost in their own thoughts. It seemed Ron knew that he couldn't press Hermione to change her mind. He could see she was being honest with him and perhaps even sensed deep down, that the last few months and in truth the last couple of years hadn't had the magic of those days following the Battle.

Hermione wiped her eyes and made herself a bit more presentable. "I think we should head back, otherwise your mother will think a grandchild will soon be on the way!"

Ron had to snort at that, then let out a huge sigh followed by a "Shit to all that then." Which made Hermione smile, as they walked back to the house.

They had been talking for quite a time, and Hermione was very tired now. So she decided to have an early night; she squeezed Ron's hand, and looked at him, as if conveying that she knew he was hurt, and that she truly was sorry. He gave her a genuine smile with a little shrug of the shoulders. She turned and went up the stairs, calling goodnight to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as she passed through the living room, trying to make sure they couldn't see her face and that she had been crying.

Harry and Ginny were nowhere to be seen and on reaching the landing, where Ginny's room was, Harry walked out of the room carrying a book. "Hi Hermione. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to get an early night. Night Harry," she said as she passed him and walked into the bedroom, hoping that he and Ginny had not been doing anything amorous before she had started her ascent on the stairs.

Ginny was sitting on her bed looking at book. "What are you reading, Gin?"

"It's a muggle book. Lord of the Rings. This wizard character Gandalf is a bit like Dumbledore. These hobbit blokes are a bit like house elves! I swapped books with Harry...he's got one of my books on quidditch."

"Ah, I read Lord of the Rings when I was ten," Hermione replied. "I cried at certain points, if I remember correctly."

Ginny actually looked at her properly for a moment. "Hmm, looks like you've been crying just now, to me?"

"Oh shit, is it that obvious?" Hermione groaned, wondering if the Weasley parental unit had noticed.

"Only to a girl, who knows these things," the redhead said lightly. "So, I'm guessing you had that talk with Ron?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "It went better than I thought. I half expected to have to do a body-binding hex on him if he got too stroppy. But, he took it well considering. I don't think he understands anything about it, but he seemed to accept my decision."

She could feel tears welling up again for some reason. "So why do I feel like I'm the one that got turned down and rejected?" She flopped down on the bed and felt the tears down her face again. "Why am I crying? What the bloody hell am I crying for?"

Ginny admired Hermione's nice use of slang, but went over and sat next to her, putting an arm around her. "It's a big thing Hermione. It's a turning point in life when marriage proposals happen. To accept or reject that proposal alters your feelings on life, no matter how sure you are of the answer, it's one of those crossroads in life, that makes you wonder on the alternate life you could have had, if the other choice was taken instead."

Hermione was too tired and upset with herself to think too much about Ginny's arm around her. With that rather intuitive advice from the younger woman she did kind of sit back to look at her.

"When did you get so philosophical and knowledgable on life, Ginny?" she asked, slightly amused, despite her tears.

"Mum has always had subscriptions to all those magazines like Witch Weekly, and sometimes they make sense on the advice pages."

"Ginny Weasley reads Witch Weekly?" Hermione chortled.

"Well, regardless, I'm right. That's why you feel like shit now," Ginny said, looking and sounding older than Hermione at that moment.

"I know you're probably right. I just hate being irrational and sounding anything like some air-headed bimbo who dreams of the house, the husband, two-point-four kids, a dog and a white picket fence. Especially as I was the one who wanted to reject the marriage proposal and didn't want those things with Ron. Urgghhhh, I'm not making any sense. Where's Luna when you need her?" Hermione groaned.

"I think it's simple. You want those things, or some of those things, but not with Ron, as you said. However, if the right person comes along, then you could still have those things," Ginny stated in a matter-of-fact way.

Hermione smiled, now noticing the arm around her, properly, for the first time. _Yes I'd love some of those things with you, Ginny. You're my 'right' person._

"Urgh! I've got a headache now. Men! Bloody men! Even when they do something marginally right they give you a bloody headache. I think I'll turn in and try to get some sleep. Thanks Ginny."

Ginny leaned in, put her other arm around her and hugged her. "Any time Hermione. Let me get one of Mum's headache potions for you, it will help you sleep too."

"OK. I don't normally like to take anything, but I think I will give in tonight and take it," Hermione replied.

When Ginny got back, Hermione had already got changed into a T'Shirt and shorts and was in bed. She didn't usually agree with using magic on every single thing in life, but with her headache she decided to use magic to get her clothes off and again to put on her night attire; it was the best way to go tonight.

"Here you go," Ginny said, setting down the potion bottle on her bedside cabinet.

Hermione poured out a couple of spoons of the liquid and downed it; it didn't taste all that nice, and she hoped to bypass her tongue altogether. _It must scare the user into never having a headache again_, she thought.

As Hermione settled back and began to drift off, her last thought amused her own mind. She was thinking how thankful she was to be going to sleep any second, and not having to endure the nightly problem of Ginny getting changed for bed mere feet away from her. So close and yet so far.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Hermione awoke to the sun streaming through a small gap in the curtains, creating an almost ray beam of light, highlighting the dancing dust motes from the window to her bed. She was relieved to find her headache had gone and she felt refreshed, but she had no idea what the time was. She rolled over and discovered that Ginny had already got up and her bed had been made.

She waited a few moments listening for any sign of life in the house. Everything was silent still, except for the birds outside.

_It must be fairly late in the morning_ she thought, stretching. She looked at her watch which she'd left on the bedside table, it said 10.30am. _Whew, that potion really did knock me out_!

With a stifled groan she got out of bed and padded over to the bedroom door, opened it and looked out onto the landing. No sign of life whatsoever. Sighing she went back, got a towel and headed over to the bathroom for a shower.

She didn't think too deeply over the events of yesterday, other than having a sense of relief that she had finally dealt with her answer for Ron. Obviously she was nervous over how quickly Mrs. Weasley would hear about it and what kind of reception she would get, but she would get to that when it happened.

Hermione finished up in the bathroom and wrapped in a towel and one for her hair she headed back to the bedroom. She finished drying her hair and set out the underwear she wanted to wear. It was then the bedroom door burst open suddenly and Hermione appeared to jump about five feet into the air, dropping the towel from around her body. She found herself facing a surprised Ginny.

"Ginnnnn! Argghhhh!" Hermione kind of spluttered.

She was completely naked and yet seemed rooted to the spot and not entirely sure what to do. Sure, they had seen each other's bodies before and regularly, when she really thought about it, but the surprise of it all and with how Hermione had been feeling lately it kind of made her stand there like a statue. She didn't know whether to dive for her towel, get a T'Shirt or do both, so she ended up just standing there.

"Bloody hell! Don't you knock?" she babbled out.

"Err, have I ever knocked on my own bedroom door before?" the redhead replied, highly tickled by the current situation. "Besides when I last looked in on you, half an hour ago, you were still sound asleep!"

"What if you had Ron with you, or Harry?" Hermione floundered.

"Well, I didn't did I? Although going by the show you're putting on here, they'll be disappointed they weren't with me!" Ginny smirked, giving Hermione an exaggerated once-over with her eyes for entertainment, trying to draw out more reaction from her friend.

"Well...yes...umm," Hermione searched for coherent speech.

"So, are you planning to cover up anytime soon? Or are you waiting for the lads to get back?" Ginny asked chuckling, thoroughly enjoying all the blushing her friend was doing.

Hermione regained a little composure and turned her back on Ginny and quickly put on her underwear and T'shirt and jeans.

"Gods, anyone would think you hadn't seen a naked woman before," she muttered under her breath as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"Anyway, I came up here to see if you were awake and wanted a brunch?" Ginny asked.

"That sounds good. Where is everyone?" Hermione inquired, wondering.

"Dad's at work, Mum's gone to visit Auntie Muriel and Harry and Ron are at the Ministry. I have the day to myself. I thought if you were feeling better we could go for brunch somewhere and go out for the day?"

"That sounds great Ginny, I'd love to. Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."

Ginny picked up her shoulder bag and headed out of the room, still wearing an amused smirk.

Hermione sat down on her bed exhaling a huge breath she didn't realize she had been holding. _Now, why couldn't _I _be the one to walk in on Ginny? Although I wouldn't know what the heck to do if it did happen? I certainly wouldn't know where to look! _

She thought on how Ginny had looked her over. Yes it had been for comedic value, but all the same, it had made her a bit hot and flustered thinking of it in a much less innocent light. She would gladly go naked all day, if she thought Ginny would look at her in that same lusty way, but actually seriously mean it rather than in jest.

She sighed heavily again. On the bright side, she hadn't seen disgust or revulsion in her friend's eyes, and maybe, just maybe, she might have seen a little appreciation, as one female often acted toward another. After all Ginny must see a lot of athletic bodies in her line of work...

It gave Hermione a jealous thought of just how many women Ginny had seen naked and whom had seen Ginny in the same state of undress. Then she berated herself. _Don't be so damn silly, she's not interested in women that way, she doesn't _care _about that!_

She picked up her wallet and small beaded bag, although these days it only carried normal things for a day out instead of survival rations and shelter equipment for several months. She had both muggle money and wizard money as she wasn't sure where Ginny and she would end up. With a last adjustment of her ponytail she left the room and went downstairs to find her friend.

"Ready?" Ginny asked.

"Yup. So where are we going for brunch?" the brunette asked.

"A coach I've worked with at the Harpies recommended this little muggle pub on the Suffolk coast, where you can sit outside and look at the sea. I know it's not exactly tropical, but I've been there once and it's really relaxing."

Hermione thought that sounded lovely. "Sounds very good to me."

"Um, just one thing. Have you got any muggle money? I ran out of the last stash either you or Harry changed for me."

Hermioned rolled her eyes. "Yes, no problem, I have muggle money. I suppose you had better Apparate the both of us?"

They walked out into the yard at the back of the Burrow, and Ginny reached out to hold Hermione's hand and in a whoosh, with some rather queasy sensations for Hermione as the passenger, they apparated to Suffolk. They found themselves under an old pier on the beach. It didn't look like anyone walked by here much, and the pier was in need of repair; if anyone had seen them appear, they would think they had just been blocked from view before, by the large wooden struts of the pier.

The sound of the sea was already calming as it gently lapped in; it looked like the tide was out. It wasn't a blue sea, more a kind of murky grey-green, but it still smelled like the seaside and sounded like every seaside Hermione had ever been to, with squabbling seagulls wheeling around above.

She shook her head slightly to clear the side effects of Side-Along Apparating as the passenger, then walked with Ginny up from the beach to the street above. In only a few minutes they reached the pub. There was a board outside listing all the food they served and Hermione's stomach growled from just reading the menu.

They went inside to order, getting some drinks to be having while they waited. Hermione had opted for a hot bacon sandwich and other nibbles, while Ginny, who hadn't actually missed her breakfast earlier, still ordered the same.

The two women didn't talk all that much while they ate, both of them looking out at the sea and pointing to the occasional huge container ship on the horizon, which was something of a novelty for Ginny. They ordered some more drinks, both of them keeping to non-alcoholic orange juice and lemonades, and moved to a wooden bench a bit further forward to the sea front.

"I have to ask Ginny. Does your Mum already know about Ron and I breaking up?" The question had been burning in Hermione's mind almost since they arrived here.

"Well, let's just say she doesn't usually visit Auntie Muriel out of the blue, unless she's asked. So yes, she knows."

Hermione rested her elbow on her leg and then her chin on her hand, feeling quite glum. "Oh."

"She'll come around eventually Hermione. You've been around this family too long for her to just throw all that away. She thinks of you like another daughter," Ginny replied encouragingly.

"Yes, but she was rather hoping I'd legally become her daughter by marrying Ron."

"I've talked to her a little, Hermione. She's upset, of course, but even she realizes she can't do much about it.".

Hermione sipped from her drink. "It's stupid I know, but I almost feel like I ought to buy her present to make up for it or something."

"Err, Hermione you turned down Ron's proposal of marriage not my Mum's!" the redhead said, trying to make her friend laugh as well as let her see the sense of things. "It will be OK. Just act normal around her. Don't try to over compensate. Just be you, right?"

Hermione returned the advice with a warm, grateful expression. "Thanks Ginny. Thanks for helping me in this right royal mess."

"Any time."

She didn't really want to know the answer to her next question, yet at the same time she did want to know.

"Sooo, Ginny, are you and Harry together at the moment?" _Please say 'no', _Hermione thought.

"Sort of. I don't know. Yes, I suppose."

Hermione's heart sunk, she thought she could actually feel it thud heavily to the bottom of her left shoe. _Bugger!_

"Well that's clear as frosted glass then?" Hermione replied with sarcasm, and then couldn't resist taking a little dig at their relationship. "I can never keep up with you two. I seem to not see you for a couple of weeks and you're not together, then I turn up at another time and you _are_ together?"

The redhead sipped at her drink considering her answer. "That's kind of how it is with Harry. Always has been. I'm used to it now, I suppose. With my lifestyle, playing quidditch etc, it strangely sort of works."

Hermione was angry inside. Ginny deserved better than that. She deserved to have someone there for her, all the time, not keep putting her down and picking her up like an ornament on a shelf. _She_ would treat her right; Ginny would never have to wonder if she was loved or in a relationship at all, with her; Hermione would show her every day.

"What are you thinking about?" Ginny asked.

Hermione mentally berated herself for letting her mind wander like that. It was those type of moments that she felt were dangerous for her to not just blurt out what she was thinking.

"Oh nothing really Gin. I just don't think I could live like that, not knowing where I stood from one week to the next."

"This is Harry we're talking about, he should be given a little slack, after everything he's been through. He's a really caring person, perhaps too caring."

Hermione was still annoyed about the way Ginny accepted this on and off relationship with Harry. She took another sip from her drink to stop herself from making a comment she might regret.

"Besides," Ginny continued "He's really cute in bed".

_"Pffffffttttt!" _Hermione had spat out her drink, with Ginny jumping back to avoid getting sprayed.

"Well, he is," Ginny added. "We haven't done any of that kind of thing for a while, but when we have in the past, I've had no complaints."

_I sooo don't want to know what Harry is like in bed, and certainly not in bed with Ginny. _Hermione thought. She was pleased to hear they weren't exactly _active_ at the moment but she still didn't succeed in preventing a horrifed expression from reaching her face.

"What? You didn't think we'd got stuck on just holding hands and snogging and snuggling still?" the redhead laughed.

"Well, I...I...I don't know what I thought. When? No, that's not my business. How? No! I don't mean that either. Oh hell's bells!" Hermione replied, gulping down the last of her drink to make up for the lack of sensible sentences coming from her mouth.

"The first time was about a week after old Voldie bit the dust. Harry found me in my room, crying about Fred, and he was there for me. One thing kind of led to another, as they say. A quick door-locking spell came in great use!" Ginny added, smirking conspiratorially.

_Oh my god, urrghhh! Ginny and Harry shagged in the room I sleep in at the Burrow! Oh flipping heck, they've probably done that many times..maybe even on the bed I use...Oh shit...I soooo don't want to know that._ Hermione thought, before a more serious notion entered her mind, which actually made her feel numb. _Ginny lost her virginity to Harry. _The fact shouldn't have surprised her, but she discovered that the idea made her feel terribly hurt. _I wish it could have been with me Ginny, it should have been me._

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Ginny asked concerned.

"Hmm?"

She had done it again, let her mind wander without guarding her facial expressions. She recovered herself quickly by saying convincingly and even with truth, "I'm OK, just thinking about all the things that have happened to us in the time we've all known each other. It made me feel a bit sad."

"I know what you mean. Well, should we move on and go somewhere else. I fancy a trip to Diagon Alley; see if George is around at the shop," Ginny said, moving quickly on to other things.

"OK, let's go," said Hermione, rising from the bench.

They walked down to the beach again and found the place they had arrived at under the pier, and used it to Apparate to Diagon Alley. Hermione could take herself there this time, as she knew the place so well.

XXXXXXXXXX

Diagon Alley was busy with shoppers from the magical world. Several children were with their stressed-out parents, going through their Hogwarts' lists of items they needed for the new school year, dragging brown papered boxes and parcels from all their purchases. There was still a couple of weeks left to go, but it was hopeless to leave everything to the last minute.

Thinking about how deserted and depressing the street was during the return of Voldemort, it was wonderful to see the place so vibrant again. All shops were in use, and there was no trace of the boarded up and broken windows that had been the norm in the days of Voldemort.

Hermione and Ginny found George in the back of the shop. He was busy, taking stock of some more inventory, including some new items George had invented himself. The girls both wondered how he tested out these items, then decided they weren't sure they wanted to know the answer to that...remembering the evenings in the Gryffindor Common Room, where unsuspecting first years became test subjects. Yes, they were paid, but it was pretty close to torture.

After a short time they bid George farewell. Hermione momentarily hovered over the love potions section of the shop during their stay, but sighed inwardly to herself and looked at other things.

It was mid afternoon by now, and they decided to stop for an ice cream. They sat outside at a table, although this did sometimes become uncomfortable. For the most part both of them were used to the occasional stares and recognition of who they were these days. It was pleasing to Hermione that Ginny seemed to get more attention than she did.

A couple of little children had crept over, shoved a scrap of paper at Ginny and whispered "Can I have you autograph please, you're so good!" Ginny beamed at them, and made their day when she flicked her wand, making a photo of her, wearing her Harpies quidditch kit, appear on the table, which she then signed for them. The 'Ginny' in the photo kept waving whenever she was looked at. Oddly, Hermione had never been in a position to witness this part of fandom with Ginny before and her eyes went wide.

"I have a whole neverending stack of those photos at the Harpies HQ. The staff always say to us, that being nice to fans, especially the young ones, guarantees more ticket and merchandise sales, and the younger you get them hooked on your team the better. I can make the photos appear anywhere when I need them," Ginny said, taking great pleasure in telling Hermione something that she obviously hadn't known about.

"So it's all kind of business, then?" Hermione asked, slightly concerned about the whole fakeness of the fame world.

"Yes, in a way, but don't think I'm a cold-hearted bitch, watching the galleon signs rolling in front of my eyes. I genuinely love meeting kids like them. Makes me think of me at their age, and how I would have loved to have met a quidditch player then. It's actually much more pleasure than business."

Hermione felt proud of her friend, and her heart, which had just about returned to her chest from the place it had dropped to earlier in her left shoe, swelled even more with love for Ginny.

"So, it's Harry's birthday this coming weekend. Have you bought him anything yet?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Um, yes. A book. No surprise there, I know. It's a book on the history of the village of Godric's Hollow, both the muggle part and the magical part."

"That's brilliant Herm. He'll love that," the redhead said. "I've had more trouble," she stretched her legs out under the table and leant right back in her seat. "I mean, what do I buy Harry? He's loaded, so can buy or not buy whatever he chooses. Buying him clothes is a bit lame and probably something he wouldn't like, and I can hardly buy him a teddy bear can I?"

"I don't know. Maybe a shop here sells fluffly hippogriffs!" Hermione guffawed, with Ginny joining her.

"Maybe I'll just bake him a cake and decorate it myself. He always liked my mince pies, so I can't be that bad a cook. You can help!"

"Ginny, I'm not great in the kitchen...not a magical kitchen anyway."

"Perfect! He'll love it if the cake was muggle-made. No buts, you _are_ going to help me. We'll start on it tomorrow," Ginny insisted.

"Oh alright!" Hermione conceded, although she did have a fleeting thought that she might spike the cake to make Harry a little ill. Then almost slapped herself for thinking of doing such things to one of her best friends. And besides she didn't want to make _everyone _ill.

Hermione glanced at her watch. "I think we ought to get back to the Burrow. Maybe we can avoid your mother until dinner?"

"Hermione! Just be yourself, woman!"

Hermione groaned, knowing her friend was right, but 'saying' and actually 'doing', were two different things.


	4. Chapter 4

4

The girls arrived back at the Burrow and as they walked through the back door, they found Mrs. Weasley bustling around in the kitchen, and Ron was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea and reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up as they entered, and then looked down again kind of disappointed.

"Hi all!" Ginny said to her mum and brother.

"Hello Ginny, dear. What have you been up to today?" her mother asked.

"Hermione and I just went out for the day together, we ended up in Diagon Alley to pay George a visit."

"That's nice, dear," Mrs. Weasley said not completely paying attention because she kept half looking at Hermione and half looking at Ron, almost as if there was a tennis match about to start and she was working out which one was going to serve first. Those two kept fleetingly looking at each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking, out of interest for any signs of their moods rather than any thought of desire.

"Did you meet any _friends, _Hermione while you were out?" the Weasley matriarch asked directly, with Hermione sure she was emphasizing the word "friends" a little oddly.

"Um, no. We just saw George. Ginny did make a couple of fans very happy though."

Ron looked up. "Blimey Ginny, didn't I warn you about groupies. You don't give them anything, they'll always think you mean more, and then you'll be dragged through the press about all the things you've supposed to have done with them...well, it's not decent," he said, all puffed up and overly protective.

"Ronald, you absolute prat. They weren't groupies, both looked about nine years old! All I did was give them a signed photo!" Ginny rolled her eyes. "Honestly, anyone would think I was just starting school or something and needed little Ronniekins to protect me?" Her brother scowled at her, going red in the face.

"So you and Hermione spent the day together, then?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes, Mum, didn't we say that when we got in? Maybe I need to buy you a Remembrall!" laughed Ginny, giving her mother a hug from the side.

"Well, I'm going to go up and dump this bag," said Hermione, walking on through the house to the stairs, wanting to find some space away from Ron and his mother.

On reaching the bedroom, Hermione set her beaded bag down, kicked off her shoes and sat down on her bed with a resigned thump. A few minutes later Ginny walked in.

"Did you hear your mother? All that inquisition about whether we met any _friends_ and whether I was with you all the time? She thinks I've got some bloody bloke I'm hiding somewhere, sneaking off to meet him?" Hermione threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Yeah maybe you've been sharing my groupies?" Ginny giggled.

"I really envy hedgehogs, you know?"

"Umm, no, I don't know," said a confused Ginny.

"The hibernation thing, just curl up for a couple of months and sleep it away, and wake up when things are different."

"Well, it's just the start Hermione, it will go away eventually, you'll see," the redhead reassured. "I think I'll go back down and read the latest load of rubbish in the Daily Prophet. I like reading the sports pages to assess which teams are doing the big pre-season mouthing-off."

Hermione walked across the room and picked up the Lord of the Rings book and took it back with her to the bed. "I think I'll just stay here for a while and flick through a few pages of this," she said, not at all wanting to be downstairs until she had to.

Time seemed to fly and in no time Ginny was calling up to her about dinner being ready. Harry was back and everyone was around the table as she walked through to them. She sat down next to Ginny, and as always enjoyed the outside of her thigh brushing against the other woman's. _Beggars couldn't be choosers_, she thought to herself. Ron was deep in thought seemingly studying the contents of a jar of pickle.

"Busy day, Harry?" Hermione asked, more as an excuse to say something, than actually wanting to know the answer.

"Not really, I was just overseeing some statements given by a couple of Death Eaters some aurors caught a couple of weeks ago. I'd not heard of either of them before. All a bit dull to be honest," Harry said, sounding a bit tired.

"I wonder just how many more are out there?" Hermione pondered out loud. "It's such an unknown quantity. Any one of them could try to gather followers and make big trouble again though."

"Well, with people like Luna helping out with her various methods and a guy as smooth as Shacklebolt in charge, no stone will go unturned. We'll find them," the black-haired man said, with no hint of doubt in his voice.

"So Harry do you work with anyone that Hermione works with these days?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a normal voice.

Hermione wasn't fooled however and silently groaned to herself. The Weasley woman was fudging around again to find out about Hermione's supposed secret lover. Harry didn't find anything odd about the question and spoke about some of the offices and departments that they both worked in, saying a lot of the people they both worked with were old school acquaintances or known to them in some way.

Dinner progressed without much more incident. As they were nearing the end of dessert however, Mrs. Weasley was back on track.

"Are you going out again tomorrow, Hermione?" the woman asked.

"Um, no, not unless I get called into the Ministry unexpectedly. I thought I might just take a walk and find a tree to sit under and read," Hermione tried to deflect.

"I just thought you might be out and about, a young woman like you, who must have places to go and _people_ to meet," Mrs. Weasley further prodded.

By this time her husband looked up and sensed what was going on and gave his wife a raised eyebrow of warning, to get her to back off a bit. Molly's fleeting return expression made him decide that, with all his years of experience, he had only one course of action; he got up from the table, and walked to the door, saying he needed to finish a project in his shed. Mrs. Weasley gave a glare at his retreating back.

"No, no. I just want to relax and have some quiet time," Hermione replied honestly, then decided on _her_ only course of action. "Er, Mrs. Weasley, can I talk to you about something?"

Ron looked up and immediately decided to leave the table too. Weasley men seemed quite cowardly when it came to the ladies of the house.

Hermione glanced at Ginny who also got the message and stood up. "I need to go tidy up some of my clothes from earlier," she said, walking off in the direction of the stairs.

This left Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, alone at the table. The older woman suddenly seemed less comfortable than before and lifted up her tea cup from dinner, to scrutinize a crack that was along the handle, as if it were the biggest magical problem that needed solving.

"I know what you're thinking," Hermione started to say.

"Oh I doubt that, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied.

"You think I turned Ron's proposal down because I have someone else?"

"No, no," the older witch tried to bat away.

"You do, don't you?" Hermione continued on doggedly. "Well it's not true. I have no one else." Which was mostly the truth.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said in a quiet voice, but then seemed to pipe up again. "Is Ron not good enough for you? Is that it? He's not brainy enough, or rich enough? That's it isn't it? I must say, I thought you didn't care about such shallows things," she almost spat.

Hermione ran a hand through her hair feeling tired again, to her very bones. "That's not it at all. I love your son, but I've realised for a long time it's more as a brother. It's not the kind of love that a marriage can be built on, not for me anyway. It's not about Ron really, it's how _I_ feel, and I can't live a lie," she sighed. "I know it's not what you wanted. I wish it were different."

Mrs. Weasley studied the younger woman, who had dropped her head into her hands. She thought things through, and surprised herself with how quickly she began to empathise with her and began to feel a little guilty for her overt prodding and poking at the girl.

"It's all so difficult to take in, especially for Ron."

Hermione looked back up. "I know. Look, I'll leave, it will make things easier for everyone. I don't want to ruin Harry's birthday by having people act awkwardly, because of me."

"I said it would be difficult, but not impossible," Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes conveying warmth. "I'm sorry Hermione. I'm just so disappointed. It's a thing mothers dream of...weddings and happy endings, but that's just something I'm going to have to deal with isn't it? But stay, please."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "This place means so much to me, and currently you might not believe me, but ALL the people here mean even more. I consider you my family, whatever may have happened and will happen."

Mrs. Weasley rose from her chair and went over and gave Hermione a little hug. _Maybe I should have taken this path from the start,_ Hermione thought. Oh well, it was done now.

It was just as well that things were better between the Weasley's mother and Hermione, because tomorrow she would be using the kitchen to help Ginny make Harry's blasted cake! At least she knew now, that she was unlikely to get a meat cleaver in the neck when she turned her back on the woman.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was Friday and luckily with Harry and Ron away at the Ministry again, Ginny and Hermione had the time and space to bake the cake. They used a muggle recipe from the book Hermione had given Mrs. Weasley, and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun. That was until Ginny reached up to gently brush off some flour from Hermione's cheek.

The older girl stood there like a waxwork dummy, and was sure her mouth hung open like a guppy fish at feeding time. It was heaven to feel those gentle fingers brush so sensitively against her skin; she was aware she was blushing again.

Ginny didn't appear to notice anything odd, although she noticed the blush. "Are you a bit warm? Do you need to open some windows? I know cooking like this makes a kitchen hot?" she asked. It seemed she thought Hermione was hot from baking.

_Am I a bit warm? Yeah, and getting warmer all the time thanks to you!_ Hermione thought to herself.

"No I'm fine, just a little embarrassed wondering how long I had flour on my face!" she said fairly convincingly, chuckling, while thinking..._I want to take that hand and kiss each finger, and place that hand over my heart so you can feel how my heart beats faster and stronger for you...then pull you closer to me, put my arms around you and kiss your gorgeous lips and...noooooooo, gods get a grip, you stupid woman! I could grip Ginny? Noooo...just shut up!_

Every time she came to the Burrow, it seemed she was having more and more difficulty hiding her feelings and was less able to stop her thoughts wandering. Maybe it was worse now, because technically she was a single, free woman, and free to act as she pleased, where love was concerned...to a certain extent anyway.

_Just a couple more days and we'll all be away from everyone again for a couple of weeks_, she thought, _I'll be back at my flat and Ginny will be either here or at her place and it will all let me get some damn control back...I hope._

Though the cake was mostly muggle-made, they did cheat slightly in using a spell to cool it down so they could decorate it straight away. They also slightly cheated there too, but the basics were still muggle. Magic just allowed a person to write in icing perfectly on the top of it, rather than looking like a five-year-old had scrawled over it. Once finished they put it in a box and hid it, using magic, on a top shelf in the Weasley's pantry.

Most of the Weasley clan and probably Luna, would be there tomorrow for Harry's birthday, except for Percy who had some other engagement apparently, but no one seemed sad about that. Andromeda Tonks and little Teddy Lupin couldn't make it either, as she was away for a few days visiting some of her late husband's family with her grandson.

Hermione decided to have an early night, knowing that tomorrow she would have to spend some time around Ron, whether she wanted to or not. She was only dozing lightly when Ginny came up to go to bed. The redhead was trying to be stealthy and not make any noise to wake her.

This was Hermione's lucky day, she was on her side and if she just opened her eyes a fraction she could see Ginny getting undressed.

_Oh for the love of Merlin! What are you? Some teenage boy, peeping on the girl's changing rooms? Pervert! _She scolded herself. _Don't you usually dread this part of the day and avoid trying to look? Dear oh dear..._

Hermione shut her eyes completely, annoyed with herself, but that didn't help the vision she had imprinted behind her eyelids of the moment before she shut her eyes properly. _Ginny taking her jeans off then bending over to take the garments off the floor. Ginny in silhouette, from behind. The curve of her hips and her toned backside, long legs, just mere feet away. All she had to do was get up, walk up behind her and throw her arms around her waist, feeling those curves, that toned stomach, place gentle kisses on her shoulders and back and reach a hand up to cup_..._oh shut up! _she snapped at herself inwardly.

She heard the other bed creak as Ginny got into it and settled down straight away. Hermione decided she could innocently roll over now, and she did so, unable to stop a sleepy moan escape her lips. _I would love to make Ginny moan, just a little sigh of pleasure_..._what the hell is wrong with you?_

She felt a slight ache between her legs, and knew she had got wet too. _Oh, just wonderful, that's one itch I can't scratch right now!_ She squeezed her legs together to relieve the feeling a little and tried to think of something else...it was hard, but in the end, thoughts of Hagrid talking about Blast-Ended Skrewts seemed to do the trick and she dropped off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

5

There is always something of the child that returns into people on a birthday, and Harry's birthday was no exception. Although Mrs. Weasley seemed more excited about it than anyone; it was another excuse for a house full.

Hermione awoke, feeling quite refreshed, if a little stiff. It appeared she hadn't moved all night; she must have been so tired she had had a very deep sleep. She didn't remember any dreams, which in some ways was disappointing, regarding her sexual tension last night before sleep came to her.

Yet again, it seemed Ginny had been up before her. Not wanting a repeat performance of the other day, Hermione took the clothes she wanted to wear to the bathroom with her, and a little later reappeared, ready for the day ahead.

Harry looked genuinely happy and was waiting for Hermione to arrive before he started unwrapping presents at the kitchen table. Harry loved the book Hermione gave him and she could see he would have liked to have started reading a page or two straight away. Ron had given him a large box containing various wizard beers. There were at least ten different types, including one called Newt's Revenge; Hermione could only guess what that beer did to the drinker's liver! Mrs. Weasley had knitted Harry some gloves, as usual, saying that although it was still warm weather, it was always best to be prepared.

Ginny beckoned to Hermione from the other side of the kitchen, to go and get the cake. It might have been only mid-morning, but with other people arriving later and probable distractions Ginny decided to produce the cake now.

They retrieved it from the top shelf in the pantry and Ginny waved a wand over it to light the candles. It did look good, with little iced broomsticks, a snitch, and an snowy owl in the middle, as a tribute to Hedwig. All topped off with "Happy Birthday Harry" in beautiful italic scripted icing. Hermione thought that if Harry tested that bottle of Newt's Revenge beer it would have been better to have labelled it with "Hippy Burpday".

Ginny walked out to the kitchen table with the cake held out in front of her. Harry was surprised and beamed at her. Ginny set the cake down, Harry blew out the candles then turned to Ginny and gave her a little peck on the lips as a thanks. Hermione immediately looked the other way, not being able to stand seeing any of the touchy-feely body language that might follow it.

"Hermione helped me make it, the muggle way," Ginny said, drawing Hermione's attention unavoidably back to the pair again. "Well, _mostly_ the muggle way."

"I'm sure it will taste fantastic Gin. Thanks, it's great!" Harry said with a big grin. Hermione, forced to look back on the scene, managed a smile back.

There was a small sound, outside in the yard, and moments later Bill and Fleur walked in. Both were looking very well, and although Bill's dreadfully scarred face was a constant reminder of the bad days, he couldn't look more contented. Fleur was looking a little tired but was mostly her radiant, charming self, as always.

Hermione had taken a while to warm to Fleur in the early days, but that had all changed to genuine respect and warmth and she was forever thankful to her for the way she cared for her after the Bellatrix incident. She might very well have saved Hermione's sanity, and allowed her to be in good enough shape, to fight at the end. Fleur was also the only person who knew exactly what had happened to her at Malfoy Manor that day.

There was much hugging, kisses and laughs as everyone greeted each other. Hermione found herself standing next to Ron.

"They always look as happy as the day they got married," he said, unusually observant. He glanced sideways at Hermione. She knew what he was thinking, that it could have been the same for him and her, had things been different.

Mrs. Weasley looked over at them, almost expectantly. Hermione suspected that despite their chat, she still had some hope that any conversation between her and Ron, might lead back to an engagement again. She noticed how the woman had looked at her a couple of times earlier when she had been near Ron, when he had either said something and she had looked his way or vice versa.

Hermione inwardly groaned once again and went into the living room and sat next to Fleur on the sofa, while Harry, Bill and Mr. Weasley were talking about something with the others.

"Hermione!" the French girl exclaimed delightedly. She had very little accent these days, except when she was pissed off about something, tired or had had enough alcohol to be mildly tipsy. "How are you?"

"Absolutely, bloody fantastic," Hermione replied drily.

Fleur had pretty much guessed that Hermione was fed up, by the expression she had got when enquiring after how she was.

"Bill, told me that you turned down Ron's proposal. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's for the best, but it's just making everything awkward," said Hermione.

"It's sure to be strange for you for a time, with people acting differently around you," Fleur said assuredly.

"Well, I did talk to Mrs. Weasley about it. She seemed to understand, but I can see her keep watching me today whenever I'm near Ron. She still thinks I'll change my mind. It's kind of infuriating!"

Fleur dropped her voice lower so only Hermione could hear. "Molly Weasley _can_ be infuriating all by herself. You remember all that nonsense with her thinking I wouldn't want Bill after he was scarred? I know her behaviour is always because she's just trying to protect her brood, but she can be soooo over the top!"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that. If I hadn't had a talk with her, she'd still be asking me these strange questions and poking me for information. She thought I had some lover-boy that I sneaked off to see! Or that I thought Ron wasn't good enough!" Hermione said in a quiet voice.

"It will pass. You're not alone, I'm always willing to listen if you need to talk about anything," Fleur said kindly.

"Thanks Fleur. I just wish she would stop thinking, deep down, that I'll go back to Ron. And stop thinking it, sooner rather than later."

"She's just as bad with me, you know."

"Um, the last time I looked _you_ hadn't turned Ron down?" Hermione chuckled.

"No, no, not that," Fleur was talking almost in a whisper now. "She keeps looking at me oddly and when she hugs me, she's almost measuring me. And a couple of weeks ago she was looking at knitting patterns for booties."

"Ohhhh," Hermione, suddenly understood. "She's wondering when you're going to give her that first grandchild?" she smirked.

"Precisely. Her hints are getting so obvious now, that she might as well put an advert into the Daily Prophet about it!" Fleur replied, with a little frustration showing through the amusement.

"Mother-in-laws eh? Can't live with them, can't send them to Azkaban!" said Hermione, only half-joking. This made Fleur snort with stifled laughter.

Hermione looked through to where the others were and saw they were all preparing to go outside now. Harry had decided he wanted an 'outside' birthday. Hermione thought he was hoping to turn back the clock a little in getting the Weasley's to play some quidditch, while a lavish picnic was laid out nearby, just like so many summers before.

As Fleur and Hermione made their way out of the house, they saw that George had arrived. He gave Harry a large box of all kinds of merchandise from the shop, along with a couple of boxes of the usual chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, which he always gave Harry every year. One is never too old for chocolate and sweets.

They walked through to the fields where they usually played quidditch. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had set up a small shelter, like a half tent, where all the nibbles were laid out on a table. There was an assortment of old mismatched armchairs, and sun-loungers, and picnic blankets and squashy cushions nearby, for everyone's choice of comfort.

Hermione opted to sit on a blanket, and stretch out her legs. She wasn't one to join in with quidditch, so resigned herself to making her own space and just trying to relax for the rest of the day.

She had just made herself comfortable, using a squashy cushion to prop herself up on, when she heard a voice behind her. "Hello everyone!"

It was Luna. The blonde-haired girl wasn't a quidditch player either, which meant Hermione had someone else to talk to.

Harry walked over to the former Ravenclaw and hugged her. It looked like Luna had given him a book too, although it was probably on a slightly wacky subject. One year she gave him a Thestrals calendar for Christmas. So many people had seen so much death, that Thestrals had become hugely popular and more people were interested in them, now that they could actually see them. Whatever it was, you could always guarantee that Luna's heart was in the right place.

She briefly spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and to Fleur, who looked like she was stuck with her mother-in-law for the day, as the older woman was gesticulating about something; which could have been anything from housecleaning methods to how to arrange a shopping list.

Deciding to play some quidditch first, Harry, Ron, Ginny, George and Bill had already got on their brooms and were discussing what version of their games they wanted to play. Hermione watched Ginny, with admiration, for she knew Ginny could best all of them on a broom, even Harry. But there was also that ever present desire she felt there, such a beautiful woman; such a beautiful, athletic woman..._thighs of iron and buns of steel...if I could just grab a handful of those buttocks. _

Luna poured out a couple of lemonades and then walked over to Hermione with them. "Hello Hermione! Oh dear, I've interrupted a thought haven't I? I can come back later."

Hermione shook her head to regain her composure. "Luna!" the brunette rose to hug her friend and accepted the glass of lemonade. "Don't be silly, come stay here and keep me company."

The blonde woman smiled and sat down, cross-legged on the blanket with Hermione. "How are you doing Luna? I haven't seen you for a while?"

"Oh you know, keeping busy. Always more problems springing from things you've just solved. I bit like curing a house of nargles, only to find a room full or wrackspurts next door, desperately trying to burrow in through the wall," said Luna in her usual dreamy kind of way. Hermione didn't have a clue what that analogy pointed to, but had long since learned that it was best not to question and just accept that it was so.

A shriek from the game being played a little way over, up in the air, drew both of their attentions. Whatever had happened it must have been good, because Ginny had a hand raised in the air, like a victory salute. Hermione wore a huge smile. _That's my gal...you show those meat-headed guys who's best._

"She's very beautiful isn't she?" Luna said suddenly. Almost causing Hermione to spray out her lemonade. _Why do people keep making me splutter and choke lately?_

"Who is? Fleur?" Hermione said, hoping to deflect any sign that she'd been thinking about Ginny. "It's the Veela thing I suppose. She's pretty anyway, but that certainly helps to make it more visual."

"I was talking about Ginny," Luna continued looking at her friend. Hermione sipped from her drink trying to act very neutral about it all. "Yes, I suppose she is. Harry is a lucky man."

"Hmm, and where one is lucky, another has to be unlucky," said Luna.

Hermione tried to keep control. "I suppose so. It's logical."

"And you're a logical person aren't you Hermione?"

"I try to be, although the older I get the more confusing logic can be. But I try to see through to logical answers," the brunette answered, hoping desperately to move the conversation on to something cerebral rather than emotional.

"So why haven't you told her?" Luna asked.

Hermione stopped dead, her glass half-way to her lips. She quickly answered with "Told what to whom?"

Luna was not always blessed with self-awareness in her interactions, but for this she lowered her voice and tried to look Hermione in the eyes, even though Hermione herself was trying to avoid it.

"So why haven't you told Ginny that you love her?"

Hermione thought of an excellent reply. "I have told her Luna. She knows she's one of my best friends and means a lot to me."

"Hermione," said Luna, in what was the closest Luna ever got to a annoyed tone. "She doesn't know how you really feel does she? You're _in_ love with her."

The brunette felt numb, she was sure she could feel a small amount of sweat beading on her forehead and it felt there was the possibility of a flobberworm stuck in her throat.

"I..I...I'm not."

"I care about you Hermione. I've known you a long time. And you've never been able to lie to me yet," Luna said with warmth, and eerie plain speech.

Hermione was silent for a few moments. "How do you know?" she almost whispered, resignedly.

"I've known you've felt for her, for a long time Hermione, and every time I catch up with you, I see your feelings for her haven't changed and only get stronger. I kept thinking you were going to tell her before you went off searching for the horcruxes. I saw how you looked at her at Bill and Fleur's wedding. That's the kind of gaze I would expect to see from a lover to another. Except she doesn't know, does she?"

"Merlin's beard! I didn't realize I'd been that obvious, Luna!"

"Oh, you weren't, I'm just very observant."

Hermione sighed, she brought her knees up under her chin and and rested her head tiredly. "I don't _think_ she knows. She's never given me any sign that she knows; she's not interested in me in that way. Even if she _had_ noticed my signals she hasn't acted on it, so she doesn't feel that way about me. How can she, when she's still telling me about her and Harry, and that she's fine with their forever on and off relationship?"

"What's the worst that could happen if you told her?" Luna asked.

"She could laugh at me, hit me, never want to see me again...the list goes on. Either way, things would never be the same and it would be awkward there after," Hermione sighed again.

"She might laugh, as Weasley's tend to do that don't they? She wouldn't hit you, and even if she felt odd about it or even disgusted to begin with, she'd never banish you from being her friend," Luna stated as easily as if she were talking about an Arithmancy problem back at Hogwarts.

"But don't you want to know how she feels about it?" Luna continued. "Do you want a lifetime of 'what ifs' never knowing 'what is' just because it was awkward? The Hermione Granger I've always known, would never let something as small as 'awkwardness' get in the way of the bigger picture."

"Maybe I'm not that Hermione Granger any more," the brunette answered in a depressed manner. "I'm the Hermione Granger who toes the line, goes about her business quietly and turns down perfectly reasonable proposals of marriage."

"That's another point Hermione. You don't want Ron, you don't have anyone else, yet I'm guessing it was mainly what you feel for Ginny that was stopping you from settling for Ron wasn't it?"

Hermione was silent for a moment, thinking it all over and when she spoke again it was in a far-off way.

"You know, I think I might say bollocks to it all and become a nun. Yes that's what I should do, and lock myself away in a convent," she mock-nodded to herself and took a drink from her glass, wishing it was something stronger than lemonade.

"Oh no Hermione, you wouldn't like that. I hear muggle nuns have itchy underwear, and they really frown upon masturbation." This time Hermione spat out her drink and started to cough.

"Luna!" she exclaimed between two small coughing fits. Her coughing turned into laughs, and flicking her eyes up briefly, she saw that Mrs. Weasley and Fleur at the other side of the picnic area were looking at her with wonderment and actually a little concern.

"Gods Luna!" she finally settled back down. "Sooo your advice is just go up to Ginny and blurt it all out, right?"

"Not exactly. I'd suggest you say it to her in private, don't you?" Luna said, totally seriously, then patted Hermione on the arm. "You never know, she might return your feelings and has been hiding them all this time thinking you didn't like _her _that way".

"That's very optimistic Luna!"

"It's a possible outcome," the blonde woman said.

Hermione relaxed a little and felt surprisingly more at ease, now that her deepest secret was out in the open to at least one person.

"I think this is one thing I'm going to leave well alone Luna. I'm just not that brave," she said, picking up a long piece of grass from the edge of the blanket and twiddling with it absentmindly. "If you've known my feelings all this time, how come you don't know what Ginny's feelings are?"

"I haven't seen much of her the past couple of years. She's very hard to read anyway. I've always found redheads are closer to temper outbursts, so I think it makes them harder to interpret what they're truly thinking."

"You don't say?" Hermione replied amused.

"Oh anyway, I don't think you'll ever truly regret it if you did tell her," the blonde woman continued to urge.

"Wanna bet?" Hermione quickly chirped in. Luna could see that the conversation was unlikely to move forward for now.

"Such a shame," Luna said dreamily.

The people playing quidditch came down to the ground after their first session, all ready to get some food and drink. Hermione watched Ginny as she walked up to the food on the table. She piled her plate high with nosh and came over to sit with Hermione and Luna, who hadn't eaten anything yet. They both decided to get some food themselves, although Hermione wasn't overly hungry.

They talked about the game and Hermione glowed inside to hear Ginny talking enthusiastically about beating the guys and showing them a trick or two. Ginny loved her food, just like her brothers, but she had one hundred times more the elegance with her table manners compared with Ron. Hermione actually became a little jealous of the food on Ginny's plate...for _it_ and not she, were given access to those adorable lips and mouth..._and don't forget the tongue_, she thought longingly.

Luna must have guessed she had drifted off in her thoughts again, and was very likely either staring at Ginny or had her mouth hanging open, because Luna nudged her with her elbow.

"Hmm?" Hermione uttered as she came back to the present.

Luna came to the rescue again as she seamlessly began to talk about some of her ideas she'd been working on at the Ministry. She thought she had discovered a fast and new way to cut off a person from being able to use magic, thus making them easier to apprehend and arrest without the need for a long duel. Both Ginny and Hermione found this genuinely interesting as it essentially meant that selected aurors would know something the opposition didn't. Cutting off a person from being able to cast magic almost straight away, boy would that have come in handy at Hogwarts alone!

They lazed around for a time after they had eaten. The quidditch players amongst them were straining at the bit to get back up in the air again, but knew Mrs. Weasley always insisted they wait a while after eating. Naturally everyone feared the woman's wrath and grudgingly waited. After an hour or so, they got back to their game.


	6. Chapter 6

6

The afternoon, of Harry's birthday, drew into late afternoon, then early evening, with much chatter, eating and drinking. The light was fading fast and they all decided to go back to the house. Hermione was going to help with packing things up, but Mr. Weasley insisted there was no need and he and his wife would see to it all. Of course, magic would help when coming to washing up plates and things.

Everyone had had a wonderful day, with even Hermione enjoying herself. Luna left fairly soon after they got back to the house. As she hugged Hermione in farewell, she whispered "Good luck."

Hermione slightly tightened her grip on Luna, not enough for anyone to notice as she whispered back, amused. "Stop it!" The blonde woman just smiled even more, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.

George also had to leave, with the pre-school shopping rush of the next few weeks, he was opening his shop on Sundays.

Everyone tried a slice of the cake, which was really rather good. Then Mr. Weasley cracked open a bottle of firewhiskey. It was a strong drink, and not everyone enjoyed it, and it certainly didn't suit Fleur, who opted for a glass of juice instead. For the rest of the room, the firewhiskey produced an almost synchronized display of gulping and huffing and puffing as the strong liquor made its way down everyone's gullets. Hermione was never much of a drinker, but she enjoyed it tonight.

She lost track of how many glasses everyone had had, and whether more than two bottles had been opened. She kept to two glasses, enough to be relaxed, but not enough to be completely rat-arsed.

It was getting quite late by now, and Bill and Fleur had to leave. It took several more minutes for all the hugs and kisses for them leaving to be completed. Hermione did notice the way Mrs. Weasley looked at Fleur and caught a little of what she said to her; something about "keeping well" and something cryptic about hoping she "didn't feel _sick_ in the morning." _Good grief! It was blatant! _Hermione thought. Fleur to her credit, endured it brilliantly and acted like she hadn't noticed the subtext of what her mother-in-law was trying to convey.

After all the hustle and bustle of seeing Bill and Fleur leave out in the yard, Hermione had come back to put her empty glass on the draining board of the kitchen sink. She was feeling tired again; some of it from the day, some of it from the firewhiskey. She was going to leave tomorrow evening, but she decided that when the others got back inside again she would say goodnight and go to bed.

The others came back in, except Harry and Ginny. She looked behind Ron and his parents as they walked back into the room and couldn't see them in the yard.

"Where's Harry and Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Ginny left her sweater outside from this afternoon, and Harry said he'd go with her just in case. _Pffft!_ Even though she's as strong with magic as him, if anything nasty happened, and can take care of herself," Ron answered her, shaking his head.

Ron was either over protective about Ginny being hurt or mixed up with men problems, or he was proudly going on about what a good witch she was, and could duel with the best of dark witches and wizards; it all depended on his mood at any given moment, which was in constant flux.

"Oh. Well, I think I'm going to go up now and turn in. It's been a lovely day," said Hermione, trying hard not to think about Harry and Ginny, who were probably grappling for a birthday kiss.

Hermione reached the room she shared with Ginny, went in and flopped down on her bed, feeling a little irritated with what Luna had said. She wasn't upset with Luna, more befuddled and bothered by what the woman had said, which made Hermione irritated with herself, for not having any courage.

Books always made Hermione feel calm, so after a few moments she picked up a couple of old spell books that were on the small desk in the room; the books were ones they had used at school, and she flicked through the pages.

After a time Ginny came up the stairs. Hermione looked at her watch and considered that she really ought to turn in for the night.

She was then setting out a T'Shirt and shorts to sleep in, when Ginny walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She turned and walked to her bed, she looked like she was a bit flustered and red in the face and Hermione really didn't want to know the reason for that; she could guess. The redhead sat down on her bed and faced her friend. Hermione was then starting to speak about getting some sleep.

"Gin, I..." But she was cut off.

"Hermione you won't believe what's just happened?"

Hermione was completely thrown off. "What?"

She had no idea what it might be. Luna was right, Ginny was blooming hard to read.

"It's Harry!" Ginny said.

"What? Is he ill or something?" Hermione asked, genuinely concerned. Even though a couple of days ago, she had briefly toyed with the idea of spiking his cake!

"He might be!" Ginny smiled. "He's just asked me to marry him!"

Hermione couldn't take it in or process it, but she suddenly felt frantic, and couldn't stop her snappy reply. "You didn't bloody say 'yes', did you?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes slightly, not sure why Hermione sounded so agitated.

"He told me he doesn't want my answer now, and wants me to think it over before I do," Ginny beamed. "He was so sweet. You know how he talks all quietly and slowly when he says something serious."

"You _are_ going to say 'yes', aren't you?" Hermione said, not able to take out the distraught tone she said it in.

Ginny was a little shocked and confused, as she looked at Hermione, wondering what on earth was bugging her. It crossed her mind that maybe her friend had had one too many glasses of booze tonight after all.

"I'm not completely sure yet, but probably a 'yes', yeah. He's been through so much, he deserves some happiness."

"Hagrid has been through a lot, but you're not going to marry _him_!" Hermione spat out.

"What the hell are you talking about? That doesn't even make sense! It's Harry we're talking about here," Ginny said firmly.

"You can't marry him!" Hermione desperately spluttered.

Then a thought hit Ginny like a mandrake's squeal.

"Oh Herm. Do you have feelings for Harry? Is he the reason you broke up with Ron?" she said with realization.

Ginny felt sad for her friend and genuinely bad for breaking the news in the way she had. It all made more sense now. That was the thing Hermione had been hiding. She had always assumed it was a best-friend-brother-sister relationship between Harry and Hermione, but her friend _would_ insist on that line, even if she had harboured feelings for him for years.

"I'm so sorry Hermione. Me and my big blabber mouth. If I had known, I would never have trampled in here and everything...," She tailed off trying to find something to say that didn't sound either patronizing or justifying.

Hermione couldn't answer; she could feel her chest tightening and almost sense her heart struggling to beat anymore. She could feel her eyes fill up and looked away from Ginny to hide the one tear that had escaped to betray her upset mood.

"I don't know what to say. Nothing is going to make you feel better with this," said Ginny attempting to smooth things out. She leaned over and grasped Hermione's hands, which had been clasped in tight fists in the brunette's lap. "I just don't know what to say?" she repeated.

"No. You can say, '_no'_!" Hermione turned to look at her, no longer caring if Ginny saw her silent tears.

"Well, does Harry know how you feel?" and a slightly awkward thought occurred to her. "Has he shown interest in you, Hermione?" she asked quietly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer to that question.

"No, no. Not...it's all...never...," the rest of the sentence became inaudible as Hermione was choking back sobs.

She pulled her hands from the redhead's grip and stood up. She walked over to the small desk in the the room, essentially to turn her back on Ginny and avoid her gaze, and placed her hands on the desk top, leaning forward.

Ginny had always felt out of reach to Hermione, but while she and Harry were never really serious, it made her feel her fantasy had a chance in some world. But marriage? That closed the door; no, it slammed the portcullis down and completely locked her out.

Ginny caught a mix of words, that sounded like "why "now" "when" and something else; it was all a jumble. Ginny couldn't bear it any longer.

She stood up, walked to Hermione, spun her around and hugged her, smoothing the girl's hair as she felt the sobs wrack the brunette's body. She had never seen Hermione like this and quite frankly it worried her. Initially she felt the older woman stiffen up as if to resist the comforting embrace, then she hung on to her for dear life. Ginny was only an inch or two taller than Hermione, but the older woman's head fit perfectly to her shoulder, leaning her whole weight against her in almost a state of collapse.

After a time Hermione's sobs became less and she controlled her breathing again.

"Hermione. Please tell me what you're thinking? If it_ is_ about Harry, don't be sorry, don't be embarrassed. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong?"

Hermione inhaled and exhaled an extra large deep breath. She pulled back from Ginny to look her in the eye before she spoke.

"It's not Harry. It's...it's you," she said in a soft voice.

"Me?" Ginny was seriously confused. "Have I done something to hurt you? If I have, please tell me, and I'll try to put it right. It _IS_ something I've done isn't it?"

Hermione couldn't stop a small smile creeping to her face at the incredibly weird situation she had found herself in, this seemed to bewilder the younger woman more.

This was not at all what Hermione had planned, and certainly not at this moment in time. _Bloody Luna, I bet she knew something like this would happen! _she thought, wondering if Luna was hiding a talent for something close to divination. She raised a hand up to Ginny's cheek, gently cupping it.

When Hermione spoke it was so quietly that Ginny leaned in a little closer to hear her.

"Yes it _is_ something you've done, Ginny." This made the redhead swallow hard feeling anxious over what it might be and terrible that she had hurt Hermione without knowing it.

Hermione continued "You stole my heart, and tonight you're breaking it, and now I have nothing to lose, because I've already lost it."

With that said, she placed her other hand to Ginny's other cheek and leaned in and kissed her, soft lips meeting soft lips; lightly at first, but then firmer. She tried to convey all her love, and pain of loss, as her lips connected with those she had dreamed of for so long.

Ginny was stunned, and couldn't move to begin with. She could honestly say, of all the kisses she had had in her life, that none of them had made her lips, and in truth, her entire body tingle as they did now. She found herself unable to do anything but respond.

Hermione was feeling braver already and quested with her tongue to seek entrance to Ginny's mouth. Entry was given and their tongues tangled, gently. Hermione still tentatively cupped one of Ginny's cheeks and she gently stroked that cheek with her thumb, her other hand moved into the younger woman's beautiful silky, auburn red hair. Ginny had rested a hand on Hermione's shoulder and had the other arm around her, placing her hand on the woman's upper back, between her shoulder blades.

A couple of stifled moans escaped them both, and then Hermione dropped her hand from the redhead's cheek and wrapped her arm around her waist pulling her closer to her. _I'm dreaming...I'm bloody dreaming_..Hermione thought. She pressed her body tight against Ginny's and couldn't help the louder moan of deep desire she uttered at the sensation. Unfortunately this seemed to break the moment.

Ginny almost jumped back with realization, shocked to her very core. She pulled back from Hermione's embrace, not knowing what had actually just happened to them; she didn't know up from down.

"Hermione...I...what..." It was her turn to lose the ability to form sentences, and she wore a kind of deer-in-the-headlights type of expression.

Hermione found all the courage she had long since thought had abandoned her, and looked straight at the woman she loved.

"I'm in love with you Ginny. I've loved you for so long. I know you don't feel the same way. Maybe I shouldn't have just kissed you, but at least I will always have that memory now."

Hermione sat back down on her bed. "I'll leave now. You won't want me around, now you know what my secret is. I understand."

Ginny sat back down on her bed, still feeling slightly flushed from her friend's kiss and embrace.

"Wait. Don't go. Not yet." She took a deep breath, running a hand through her red hair, thinking of what to say and how. "We need to talk."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Many thanks for your kind comments and for reading the story. This update includes Chapters 7, 8, 9 & 10**

7

A few moments of silence between the two friends as they both tried to comprehend what had happened and what it actually meant when all was said and done.

"What is there to say? I love you. You don't feel the same back, and you're going to marry Harry, the boy you've had a crush on for years. The love of your life," Hermione said, and as sad as it all was, the logic in her statements made her feel more stoic.

"I wouldn't call him the love of my life, exactly," Ginny said flatly.

"Whatever! The point is, you love him and as you said, you're probably going to marry him. It's just semantics," a very much more calm Hermione replied.

"Until a few minutes ago I'd mostly agree with you, but...but...," Ginny was looking urgently for the right words. "BUT, no one has made me feel the way you just did. All from a kiss!" she babbled that sentence out almost too fast for Hermione to understand. The brunette smiled warmly.

"Thank you Gin," she said, squirming a little, and had she not been crying a few minutes before, a blush would have been clear on her face. "It doesn't change things though. You don't suddenly change your...you know..._preferences_, just from one kiss," Hermione continued.

"How do _YOU_ know about my preferences, Hermione Granger?" the redhead asked with only the smallest of amusement, the sentence laden with much more seriousness.

"Well, the fact you've always dated boys, and you were drooling over Harry since before you went to Hogwarts. That kind of points to it."

Hermione refused to let herself feel the tiniest pinpricks of hope. She had confused Ginny, that was all; how many people suddenly loved someone and changed their whole outlook on life, just because they've been thoroughly kissed?

"I'm not blind to attractive women, Hermione! I find all kinds of people attractive. Harry wasn't the only crush I had a Hogwarts either," Ginny said.

"It was Neville wasn't it? He did ask you to the Yule Ball didn't he?"

"Are we having the same conversation here? No Hermione, my other crush was...well...you!" a flustered, blushing Ginny told her. "You shone like a beacon for me. You were so intelligent, as well as truly lovely, and you put up with so much bullying with courage and elegance. I thought if I could only be half as good as you, you might notice me more than my brother."

"What?" was all Hermione could answer with. "What? Why did you never say anything?"

"Probably for the same reasons you never told me. I saw how Ron was falling more and more in love with you. How important he was to you, as you went off on more dark and dangerous adventures, and became closer. I couldn't break into that, and I thought I was just being silly anyway. So I focused on Harry. I locked away any feelings I had for you and accepted things as they were and tried to never think of you in that way again," Ginny told a wide-eyed and a now slightly puzzled Hermione.

"We're all idiots," Hermione uttered. "It makes you wonder where we'd all be, had we actually told each other, or at least hinted," her eyes looked off into the distance, fleetingly imagining a vision of her and Ginny living together. _Hmm, not in this universe now,_ she thought.

"We've told each other _now_, and that kiss is like you've reawakened something in me," Ginny said.

"And it changes nothing. You've practically hinted to Harry that you're going to say 'yes' to marrying him. I'm stupid for ever thinking of telling you and especially for the timing of it." Unwittingly a silent tear rolled down Hermione's cheek again.

Ginny got up and went to sit next to her, clasping Hermione's hands again. "I'm glad you told me, it has made all the difference to me; to a girl with a huge crush. To know you love me," she smiled.

"Great, you know. But you won't dump Harry will you?" Hermione said with a certain resigned tone again, all hope having been dashed because Ginny never said she would drop everything and be with her, no matter that she had confessed she had always liked her.

"It's really difficult Hermione. You must know that."

"Yes it seems difficult, and I know it's unfair, but it's actually quite simple. Do you want to be with Harry, or do you want to be with me? I think I know that answer already though."

Ginny sighed again, and couldn't resist smirking as she said. "I know I want more than just that kiss from you, now."

"That would be lust Ginny. And after I gave you more, would you think, 'oh that was nice' and then go back to quiet, safe, sweet Harry?"

"Give me more credit than that, please. No one can know how things turn out for sure."

It was Hermione's turn to sigh again. "Look, I'm sorry. I've made a right mess of things here; confused you, stupidly gave myself false hopes and have probably affected all kinds of things now. I'll leave in the morning, I was going tomorrow evening anyway."

"Hermione, I haven't answered Harry yet. What if I tell him 'no'? You said yourself that our relationship has always been on and off. He wasn't pressuring me at all. Would you give me a chance?" Ginny held both of the brunette's hands in hers, squeezing them gently. "Please? I definitely feel something for you."

Hermione looked at Ginny, and wasn't sure which of them was more perplexed right now. Yet here was Ginny asking her to give her a chance. Wasn't that what she always wanted? Dreamed of? Ginny actually admitting to feeling something for her? That was beyond her dreams, wasn't it? Yes, but having another's marriage proposal wrecked, and that person being Harry, one of her best friends, had never been in her equations. And since it was all out in the open, it all felt so much more complicated than just one person loving another.

"Look," Ginny said. "It's getting late. We need to talk more about this, perhaps in the morning? I want you to know I would like to give 'us' a chance in some way. But can I ask you one more thing before we turn in for the night?"

"What?" asked Hermione, feeling tired beyond belief now, even though Ginny was saying things she never would have believed a few hours earlier.

"Can I have another kiss?" the redhead smiled mischievously.

The sensible part of Hermione's conscience suggested she say a world of 'no', but the weak-kneed desperate for fantasies and fairytales part of her won, and she leaned in closer to Ginny.

She placed a hand into that gorgeous red mane to cup the back of Ginny's head, drawing her closer and their lips met again with sensuous perfection. It felt more powerful than that first kiss, probably due to Ginny being a willing participant, rather than an initially stunned passenger. It was so easy to get lost in each other, as their tongues tenderly battled together.

Adorable little moans escaped both of them. Sitting side by side, but turned to face each other, Ginny had a hand and arm around Hermione's upper back again and a hand on her shoulder, cupping the side of her neck, keeping her close. They were lost in each other until Ginny slid her hand down and rested it on the top of Hermione's chest, getting dangerously close to ending up slightly lower and holding Hermione's breast.

Hermione was the one to break off the kiss this time. She wanted to be touched by Ginny, more than anything in the world; she could see her friend's eyes, dark with want, as they sat back from each other almost panting, and knew that she was only a couple of moves away from getting very seriously hot and heavy with Ginny. It would have been beyond her wildest dreams, but she knew that now was not the right time. If it ever happened, she wanted to know that Ginny was hers completely, not a lust-driven and emotionally confusing shag because of tension and novelty.

"I...er...think we should get to bed now," Hermione said, then saw Ginny's eyebrows climb high, almost into her scalp. "I mean to sleep...in our _own_ seperate beds," she quickly added.

"Oh. Yeah, you're right," Ginny said in a very dreamy voice.

Hermione gathered her nightclothes and left the room to go to the bathroom, and changed in there, rather than make things any more confusing and awkward. When she got back, she saw Ginny had thought of the same idea and went off to the bathroom to do same.

_See? It's already made things awkward!_ Hermione thought. _Yesterday we would have thought nothing of getting changed in front of each other...well Ginny probably didn't think about it anyway._

Ginny soon got back dressed in a fairly tight T'Shirt and shorts, which really wasn't helping the situation for Hermione. They both settled into their respective and seperate beds.

"I mean it Hermione. I want to give us a chance. I'm going to cool it with Harry, OK. I'll talk to him the first chance I get in the next couple of days. I won't tell him exactly why, of course, but I'll tell him I want to back away from the relationship."

"Hmm," was all Hermione could reply with. "I'm not going to be back here for a couple of weeks, Gin. I'd love to know that by then you would have told Harry, but it's all like a weird dream for me right now, and I'm not certain of anything you're telling me?"

"I know how it all sounds, but I just want you to know. It's not _really_ sudden. You've just reawakened feelings I had long ago buried," Ginny said.

"That's what's hard for me Gin. How can a kiss, OK two kisses, make you so certain you want to give us a go at all and suddenly make you remember feelings you'd vowed to lock away, and had done so?"

"It wasn't just the kiss. You're one hell of a beautiful woman Hermione, and I'd forgotten how much till the other day when I caught you in here after your shower. But I was years past thinking anything more than how beautiful you were. Your kiss just opened up that part of me again."

Although in the dark now, Hermione's cheeks were still flushed, thinking of Ginny's roaming gaze over her naked person. At the time she had wished that Ginny was genuinely giving her the once-over, now she knew that it had been true, she just wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"We'll talk more in the morning, alright?"

"OK, night Hermione."

"Night Ginny."

Hermione settled down feeling absolutely exhausted. _Well none of this was in the options Luna gave me for possible outcomes,_ she thought. She couldn't resist a contented smile as she closed her eyes though. Ginny had feelings for her. It was a start.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Hermione was first to wake the next morning. She rolled over and looked across to the sleeping form of Ginny. It was hard to believe last night's revelations had happened at all. Would she really get to be with Ginny? She fought with herself mentally as various sides of the hypothetical argument bounced around in her mind. It was a few moments before she realized that Ginny was awake now and staring at her bemused.

"What are you thinking about? You have your serious-shit-is-going-on, face?" Ginny said, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Oh, just things. I'm sure you can guess some of it," she paused, biting her bottom lip. "Just wondering if we had too much to drink last night?"

Ginny sat upright in her bed. "You think everything I told you was the firewhiskey talking?" she lowered her voice again. "You think I asked for a second kiss because I was not in my right mind?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well, I wouldn't be a normal paranoid human if I didn't consider that?" she said trying to lighten the mood.

"If you must know, I had one glass, that is all. One glass less than you, if I remember. I have to start training again soon, and I take it very seriously. You are what you eat...or drink, and all that!" Ginny said with conviction.

"Sorry. I'm just being...well...me," Hermione dropped her head, feeling a bit ashamed.

"I'm sorry too. This is going to be peculiar for both of us, in a lot of ways, I'm sure, but I stand by what I said last night," Ginny said firmly, but kindly

Hermione looked up again and half-smiled. She got out of bed and sorted through her bag for some clean clothes and went across to the bathroom, ready to start the day. She was pleased beyond measure, that Ginny had stood by what had happened last night, but she still had so much self-doubt.

_It's normal_, she supposed, _I've been waiting years and years and now I nearly have what I want, and I'm not sure how to handle it_.

She went back to the room and Ginny then went to the bathroom to wash up and dress for the day too.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and Hermione went home that night to her flat. She had a couple of weeks of paperwork to get through related to house elves. There was also a first draft of a proposal she had in altering a couple of the harsher laws in regard to people having less than human biology, such as werewolves and centaurs.

Hermione made a few trips into the Ministry, but mostly she was able to work from home, listening to a couple of her favourite muggle CDs, and having the TV on as a background to help her work; she liked to multi-task. She felt lucky that she hadn't run into either Ron or Harry at the Ministry and admitted to herself that working from home became more convenient so she didn't have to talk to them.

Even though the brunette was busy she still couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to Ginny, except now it was with a slight bit of hope. The next time she saw Ginny she was hopeful that the redhead would be single again.

XXXXXXXXXX

A couple of weeks had passed and some of them were going to be back at the Burrow for a weekend. Hermione wasn't sure how long she was going to stay this time, and thought she would wait and see what happened. She might not stay for longer than a night, depending how things were.

Hermione arrived at the Burrow fairly early on the Saturday morning, greeting Mrs. Weasley and Harry, who was at the table reading the Daily Prophet.

"Morning Hermione," the black-haired man said.

"Hi Harry! Any interesting news today?"

"No. Although there is a nice advertisement for George's shop in Hogsmeade. That shop is going to make huge profits on all the Hogsmeade weekends," he said enthusiastically.

Hermione went straight upstairs to place her bag into Ginny's room and unpacked a few items. The redhead must have been in the bathroom as she didn't see her, and felt very disappointed by that. She went back downstairs again and Mrs. Weasley came over to the kitchen table and poured Hermione a cup of tea.

Hermione had hardly taken a sip when two owls arrived. One was from Ron, saying George wanted him to help set up some new things at the very Hogsmeade shop Harry had just spoken of, and wouldn't be back for the weekend after all. Although Hermione had been trying to avoid Ron, she felt a little down that the weekend wouldn't be all of them, like old times.

The other owl was for Harry from Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister himselt; wanting Harry at the Ministry first thing on Monday, related to another Death Eater that had been arrested. Surprisingly Harry called to Hermione.

"Hermione, there's a message here for you too," he said, looking over to his friend.

She walked over to him and he handed her a small folded note that was inside his letter. Hermione opened it and discovered that she was needed at the Ministry on Monday too. It was all a bit vague, but appeared to involve aspects of the same case Harry was required for.

"Everything alright Hermione?" asked Harry, watching her closely.

"Yes. It seems I've been called in for Monday too. Shacklebolt doesn't say in exactly what capacity. Oh well, I'll find out Monday won't I?" She slid the note into her jeans pocket. Her mind was already considering what might await her on Monday.

In a way, it had slightly set her on edge, not knowing what was required of her until she arrived at the Ministry. It was like being set homework, but not told what it was until you showed up on the deadline day for it, and were going to be tested on it.

"I wonder if you can do something for me this morning, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked suddenly, distracting her from her thoughts about Monday.

_As long as it doesn't involve marrying Ron_, she thought wryly. "I will if I can," she replied.

"Do you know what a blender is?" the older woman asked.

"Yeesss," Hermione said "Well, yes, if you're talking about the muggle blender?"

"Yes dear, one of those. You can make soups and sloovies with them?"

"I think you mean 'smoothies'?" Hermione said.

"Yes, yes. Well, would you go and buy one for me? There's one of those sales days in the town a few miles from here," Mrs. Weasley asked, with no hint of it being a joke.

"Why would you want a blender? You can do the same with magic, and you need proper electric or a power source to plug it into," Hermione said, completely bewildered.

"Arthur wants to study one, and try to modify it for magical use. He gets a muggle newspaper, and saw a leaflet advertising them. As they're going cheap today I thought it would be a good time to get him one," Mrs. Weasley continued. "You know what he's like with muggle things. He's been interested in all those gadgets for years."

"OK," Hermione said. "I can go buy one for you. I'll go now if you like?"

"Thank you, dear," the woman said patting Hermione's hand. "I do get so flustered in muggle shops and with muggle money too. I'll pay you in our money, as I always know you have muggle money on you, if that's OK?" Then Mrs. Weasley handed her a piece of notepaper with the name of the blender she had seen and wanted to buy.

"No problem," Hermione said, and actually found herself looking forward to it, to get some fresh air and be sent on a simple task.

Harry looked over the newspaper grinning at her, and probably relieved that he hadn't been chosen for this particular quest.

She checked her wallet was in her jeans pocket and stood up ready to leave. Ginny walked through to the kitchen at that moment.

"Going somewhere Hermione?" Ginny asked, looking at her and wondering why her friend was leaving, having only just arrived.

Hermione looked at Ginny, not lingering too long for fear that Harry or Mrs. Weasley picked up on something. _She looks happy to see me_, Hermione thought, _this bodes well. Now if I can only get her alone to ask her how she got on with Harry._

"Just running a muggle errand for your mum," Hermione said.

"I'll go with you, if you like?" the redhead offered with enthusiasm.

"Ginny I have some things I'd like you to do before you go back to Holyhead this time," her mother said. "I want you to sort through some of your boxes of things and sort out what you want to keep and don't want to keep. The attic is getting out of hand!"

Ginny audibly groaned at the thought, but knew she wouldn't get out of it. She slumped her shoulders down and then sat at the table. Harry instantly sat up straighter and was looking at her with hardly disguised infatuation, although Ginny hadn't acknowledged it.

"See you later everyone," Hermione said walking out the door to Apparate from the yard.

Hermione found her way to the shop she needed to go to and picked out the blender Mrs. Weasley wanted and queued up to pay at the till. Ginny was never far from her thoughts, and she hoped when she got back they could talk some more about things. The shop was packed with shoppers, no doubt all taking advantage of the sales that day. It was quite some time later before Hermione made her way back to the secluded place she had used to Apparate. She glanced at her watch and she had been gone an hour. Nevermind, it would all keep things sweet between herself and Mrs. Weasley.

She arrived back at the Burrow and walked in through the kitchen door.

"Mrs. Weasley? I'm back," Hermione called. The older woman appeared, coming from the living room.

"Did you have any luck with the blender?"

"Yes. No trouble at all," Hermione said placing the boxed and bagged blender onto the kitchen table. "Here it is".

"Thank you, dear. Arthur will be thrilled."

Hermione couldn't see anyone else in the house.

"Where _is_ everyone?" asked Hermione.

"Arthur is in the shed, no surprise there! And Ginny and Harry are looking through those boxes of things in the attic," Mrs. Weasley listed off.

"I'll go find Ginny and Harry then."

She was hoping that even if she couldn't ask Ginny if she had broken up from Harry, that maybe she could see it for herself.

Hermione climbed the stairs, briefly popped her head into Ginny's room and when she saw it was empty she went up another flight of stairs and reached the bottom of the ladder to the attic. She heard voices from above and although she wasn't keen on climbing she started to ascend the ladder.

She had nearly reached the top, when she heard some giggling. _No doubt they've found some of Ginny's baby clothes or bad photos,_ she thought grinning.

She popped her head up into the attic and to her horror at the other end of the attic from the entrance trap door, Ginny was facing the wall and was resisting Harry, kind of sticking her backside out to keep him away playfully, and he had his arms around her from behind, looking like he was practically humping her. _Perhaps he's just tickling her_, Hermione tried to think rationally. But on looking at the scene more closely, she could see Harry's hand was up the front of Ginny's shirt, which was only held together with a couple of buttons now.

_Noooo_ her mind screamed. Except she must have said something outloud, because Harry removed his hand in double-quick speed as he turned around to see who was there. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was Hermione.

Hermione didn't relax however. Her face was pale and she had taken one hand from the ladder and put it to her mouth in a stereo-typical pose of shock.

"Oh, sorry," she said without even knowing why she said that. She was shocked and horrified and as she rapidly descended the ladder again she became angry.

_Ginny was supposed to cool things with Harry, not make out with him in the attic! She never meant a thing she said to me. I was daft for even thinking she had. _She also thought that, had Ginny told Harry anything, it was doubtful he'd be up in the attic with her laughing, he'd be out walking and brooding somewhere. _You're so stupid Hermione Granger!_ she thought dejectedly.

She speedily descended the stairs and reached Ginny's room, and straight away packed things into her bag and decided she was leaving, now, this very moment. Ginny had sped after her, and entered the room frantically.

"Hermione, it's not what you think!" the redhead said.

"I think it's exactly what I think. I was such a fool!" Hermione said, tears threatening to fall as she roughly packed her bag again, not caring how creased or messed up the contents became.

"You're leaving?" Ginny asked, only then realizing that Hermione was packed and looking ready to leave again.

"Why should I stay a moment longer? To have to endure you and Harry all over each other? After everything you said to me last time?" said Hermione with venom.

"Listen to me Hermione! Please!" The younger woman grabbed Hermione by the shoulders to make her stand before her.

"Why should I ?"

"Harry and I were just fooling around. I had this really terrible photo of him from the first time he stayed with us. I wouldn't let him have it back, so we wrestled and it kind of got out of control a little."

"Right, and all wrestling and fooling around ends up with someone having their hand up your shirt molesting your boobs?" Hermione spat out. "Considering he only asked you to marry him two weeks ago, why wouldn't I think he could do that? Hmm?" _Stupid, stupid woman, Granger, _she thought to herself.

"OK, I haven't told him...about wanting to break up...yet". Hermione struggled out of Ginny's grip, and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I figured that much out for myself," Hermione spat.

"You're not being very reasonable. This is bloody hard for me, you know, give me time!"

Hermione stopped all movement, knowing that she was expecting things too fast, but her heart had been stretched for years, broken in half two weeks ago, healed and now shredded again. She couldn't deal with almost getting what she always wanted, only to have it taken away again before she had even got used to the thought of actually getting near to what she wanted.

"I know Gin. I'm sorry. I'm feeling bruised and broken. If you had any idea how if felt to have your heart trodden on and shattered for so many years, to be given hope and then feel broken again, you'd know why I feel this way."

And with that, Hermione nearly ran out of the room, down the stairs and out into the yard, Apparating back to her flat.

Ginny raced after her, running through the kitchen, which caught Mrs. Weasley's attention this time.

"Ginny Weasley! I will not have people running through my kitchen like a pack of robbed goblins!" her mother yelled at her daughter's fast-moving figure as it raced out the door.

It was too late, Hermione had disappeared. Ginny was a little numb trying to figure out what to do. If she went to Hermione's flat, assuming that's where she went, it might cause more than a slight scene, and even if she went after her, she didn't know what to say.

Ginny walked back into the kitchen. It was at that moment that she understood a little bit about a broken heart. Her chest ached, for the pain she had caused Hermione and for the longing to be with her and make things up to her.

It dawned on her, that like her best female friend, she was also only 'settling' for the man in her life too. She had felt more distraught over Hermione's reaction, than worrying about what Harry would think if she told him why Hermione had left so suddenly. She loved Harry, and found him attractive etc, but theirs was not a raw passion, it was more a comfortable arrangement, when she really thought about it. They could have been happy, she was sure, but there would inevitably come a time when it wasn't enough and it would feel like something undefinable was missing. She certainly never tingled all over when Harry kissed her.

It was at that moment that she truly realized she had made her choice. She wanted Hermione. But, she might have already messed things up with her.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Hermione arrived back in her small flat's living room. She threw her bag down, and sat on her sofa, leaned over with her head in her hands, unable to stop the tears. All kinds of crazed thoughts entered her mind.

_Everything has been made worse. I should have kept quiet. I've ruined my life, Ron's, Ginny's and possibly Harry's now. Oh gods, Harry, what on earth must he think of me? Why would I act disgusted for him touching his girlfriend? Arrrghhhh! And I might see him at the Ministry on Monday! Double arrggghhhh!_

She laid on her side and curled up in the foetal position like a cowering animal cub, and in her state of upset and exhaustion she fell asleep.

A couple of hours later Hermione awoke; she felt a little better in her mind, resigning herself just to get on with things and carry on, but physically she felt wretched. She rose slowly from the sofa and decided to take a shower and freshen up. She wasn't hungry at all, but knew she would have to eat something over the weekend or she would never be in a fit state for work on Monday.

She briefly considered writing to Ginny, but she didn't know what to say and anything that wouldn't make everything worse, so she didn't write. She hated the state of limbo she felt she was in, but at this very moment in time she couldn't think of anything to do to make it clearer.

All fresh and wearing clean clothes, she went through to her kitchen and chose an old favourite of hers from her early childhood; baked beans on toast. It made her feel better almost instantly, although a little wistful too, thinking of times when things were simpler.

She unpacked her bag and then set to sorting out any laundry, and doing mundane tasks like these helped her immensely. She felt a lot stronger again by evening, and chose to have an early night.

Her last thoughts before settling down for the night, were of Ginny. She had tried to avoid thoughts of her at all, but a part of her was grieving for the woman. Well, everything had happened the way it had, and nothing could change that. The logic to it, helped Hermione feel less desperate and vulnerable and allowed her to drift off to sleep.

In her depressed state and feeling even more depressed for allowing herself to feel depressed she spent most of Sunday asleep too. She looked through some more of her paperwork and looked at some more amendments to laws she wanted to look at, but nothing really seemed to flow with her mind.

Hermione was feeling a little better but now wondering what Monday would bring at the Ministry, so she went to bed early, mentally exhausted too, after first remembering to set her alarm.

XXXXXXXXXX

_'Beep-beep-beep-beep'_

Hermione groaned as she stuck an arm out of bed to hit the top of her clock, missing the off button the first time. She found herself taking a deep breath to steel herself, before getting out of bed and starting her day.

Showered, dressed and with a small breakfast inside her she Apparated from her flat to a Ministry Apparating point. From there she entered through one of the main doors.

After the War, it was viewed that the Ministry might have had secret muggle-proof ways of concealing their workplace, but that did nothing against dark wizards infiltrating the entire place from the inside, via people whom knew all the secret entrances anyway; muggles were not a risk. So the Ministry had a couple of external entrances to make things easier for all their workers.

One entrance door had the appearance of a warehouse, possibly for a muggle mail-order business, and from the outside, appeared dark inside with boxes everywhere. It was this one that Hermione used to enter the Ministry.

The place was bustling, as it always was, with messages and notes flying around like darts. She made her way directly to Shacklebolt's office, reaching the outer office where an assistant gestured for her to go through. Hermione reached Shacklebolt's door, knocked, waited for the reply and entered.

"Ahh, Hermione," the Minster for Magic said warmly. "Good to see you. I expect you want to know why I've called you in?" he asked.

"Yes. I have been rather intrigued since I got your message," Hermione replied.

"It's a Death Eater we apprehended. His name is Felgate, and we had no knowledge of him. It seems he did not attend Hogwarts, and may well have been away from the magical world. He claims he never worked for Voldemort this last time and never obeyed the call."

Shacklebolt sat back in his leather executive chair. "But the first thing we did was to see what his last few spells were from his wand. That has found him out for what he is, a torturer and murderer...whether for his own pleasure or for Voldemort's we don't know yet, but he's a nasty piece of work."

"So, where do I come in? I don't normally deal in interrogations, or statements?" Hermione asked.

"No. The thing is, Felgate was travelling with a house elf," Kingsley steepled his hands under his chin in a thoughtful pose. "The elf is obnoxious, and won't abide by anything we ask of it."

"He's not related to Kreacher is he?" Hermione said, but Shacklebolt carried straight on, apparently not hearing her comment.

"We need to know about their movements. Who his master has met with, where he's been and so on, anything from during the War, up until now."

"Why do you need me?" the brunette asked.

"You have a gift with memory charms, but you're also known as a supporter of House Elf rights and have the most experience with them. If you are the one to _question_ the elf, then it would be very hard to accuse the Ministry of any abuse, should any strange rumours ever get out. Even if the creature is a repulsive little rotter, it wouldn't look good for us."

Hermione understood exactly what he was asking. "So, you want me to use a memory charm on him or some other necessary spell and then get him to talk? The problem is elves don't tend to be able to talk all that clearly about their masters' activities because they're so limited in their freedom of action and thought in their every day lives. They usually find it difficult to talk about something they never would have spoken of, even in secret, especially obvious subjects or events they know to be their master's most intimate and secret actions, and they never usually even _want_ to talk if they're as awkward as you say this one is," she stated, frowning.

"But house elves _see_ everything don't they?" the Minister continued.

"You want me to drag some memories out of the elf, literally?" she asked, a little uncomfortably.

"Yes," Shacklebolt said uncertainly. "I know it sounds awful, but it could keep us ahead of the rabble of Death Eaters left and help us to understand a lot of things, which might prevent future problems. I'm hoping it won't take many sessions."

Hermione sighed, not at all comfortable with the task she had been asked to carry out. However, the huge loss of life in the War, had changed her opinions of what the greater good was and she wouldn't be hurting the elf, exactly.

"Ok," she said. "Where do I go? The usual place?"

"Yes, down to the basement courts level," Kingsley replied. "He's quite comfortable in one of our rooms there, all to himself," he added quickly, dispelling any thought Hermione had about keeping the elf in a cold damp dungeon-like cell. He handed her a small briefcase, containing several empty vials in which to store the memories.

Hermione made her way down in the lift, never getting used to the movement of the contraption. She entered the the hallway there and was met by an auror who led her to the corridor and the door where the elf was.

The auror was a young woman with spikey blonde hair, wearing a leather biker's jacket. She reminded her of Tonks a little, _poor dear Tonks_, she thought sadly. Before opening the door, the auror told her to knock three times when she wanted to exit the room again.

The door closed behind her and locked. There was a table and two chairs in the room, but no elf. These rooms were very special, in that no living thing could leave them, except through the door. Not even a house elf could magically escape; this type of room made Hermione glad that the Malfoy's cellar had not had the same protection.

She was about to call back out to the corridor outside when she heard a slight rustle in the room. Hermione looked under the table, and there was the rather grubby elf, huddled up, with his knees up under his chin and his arms around his legs, rocking slightly.

The elf looked up at her. "GO AWAY!" it shouted alarmingly loud. "I know you! You filthy mudblood! My master will kill you! I will help him! Oh yes, I will."

Hermione was only mildly shocked, the threats of killing meant nothing to her now, they bounced off her like water off a duck's back. She was more unsettled with the creature's turn of phrase, which unfortunately spun her mind viciously back to a certain deranged Death Eater torturing her. The word 'mudblood' didn't hurt, but the _way_ he said it was eerie to her.

She quickly moved her thoughts on, not letting the elf see that he had remotely affected her. She would try to probe and see if there was hope of rehabilitation with this one, even if it looked bleak from the start and it wasn't her purpose here today.

"Hello to you too, elf!" she said. The elf hissed at her.

"Well, you can't kill me if you stay all scared under the table can you?"

"Morty is never scared!" it uttered, immediately moving out from under the table.

"Morty? Is that your name then?" Hermione asked.

"No dirty mudblood can say my name. I'll make my master whip you for that."

"Make your mind up. Do you want him to kill me or whip me, or both?" Hermione asked, ice cool and calm, as she took a seat.

"Well..." Morty was completely befuddled. "SHUT UP!" was the only thing he could think of saying.

"Don't you wish you were free and able to do what you wanted?"

"Free? _FREE?_"

He walked over to the wall opposite Hermione, pressing his hands behind him as if trying to find a weak place in the wall to make a hole he could escape through, he was also trying to stay as far away from her as possible. His clothing consisted of a shabby vest, which was truly filthy; he had the large elf eyes, but they contained not a shred of friendliness, and his nose was rather crooked as if it had been broken several times.

"I serve my master. I love my master"

"But, don't you think about doing things for yourself, living your own life instead of serving some wizard that treats you like dirt?"

"How DARE you talk of my master that way! Morty is treated well. Morty is happy with life."

Hermione shook her head briefly, normally that line of questioning gave her a sign of hope for an elf adapting to a new life. But there was no spark of interest or inquisitiveness in this one, not so much as a twinkle in his eyes.

"How old are you?" she asked, trying to throw the elf off balance a little.

"Morty doesn't know, but have served master and his family for many generations. I will serve them many more generations with pride."

"You won't," Hermione continued. "Your master is going to Azkaban for the rest of his life. As will you if you're unwilling to cooperate with us, and that place is particularly hard." She studied the elf carefully as he processed what she said.

"Where master goes, I go. I care not where that is!" Morty replied with no thought at all.

"We could make life easier for you" she said, thinking fast. "And your master," thinking even faster. "If you would share some memories with us."

"I won't share anything with a dirty, filthy mudblood. I won't betray my master! You lie! Mudbloods always lie! You're trying to confuse Morty to tell you tales. PISS OFF!" Morty answered like a rabid dog.

"Charming fella aren't you?" she couldn't resist some sarcasm. "In case you forgot, our side won the War. Your master's style of life is over!"

The elf just hissed at her again. This creature was beyond her. She was feeling all her exhaustion returning now, and her limbs felt very heavy, knowing what she would have to do now.

Hermione took out her wand from inside her sleeve. Wearily pointed it at the elf, who was snarling at her.

"You give me no choice," she said, then, ""_Elfis-pacificomaxus!_"

A small red light shot out from the end of her wand and hit the elf. He had looked like he was about to shout another expletive at her, but as soon as the spell hit him, he started smiling. He stood there with a big goofy grin, swaying slightly on the spot.

The spell she used, was one she had devised herself for her line of work. Normally it was to calm an elf who had become agitated and upset with the thought of making their own choices and rejecting their old master or mistress. However with this Morty fellow, she used the maximum level.

Unlike the _'stupefy' _spell which knocked out the opponent, this spell was perfect for removing agitation and agression and all negative actions, nearly creating a hypnotic state, and did very little damage. It wasn't actually attacking your opponent, more like stroking them. It was perfect for Hermione's current case, because it allowed the elf's brain functions to be normal enough to extract memories.

Hermione herself wouldn't look through the memories properly herself, that would be up to some Ministry colleagues trained in mind skills such as legilimency, and pensieve interpretation to name two. Harry was good at that.

It was then, she thought that the whole case would be sorted through faster if she called in Harry to use legilimency to wander through the elf's mind and to extract the memories himself.

She had done her part, getting the elf in a position, humanely, where he wouldn't fight them. Right then she couldn't really care too much about how awkward things might be between her and Harry, this was work, and if she could cut down any time she spent with this nasty wasp of an elf, then she would use all options.

Hermione stood up and went to the door, knocking three times. The auror from earlier called to ask if she was finished and wanted to come out.

"I was wondering if Harry Potter could assist me?" Hermione spoke through the door.

"He was in helping question that bloke. I'll see if he's available."

The auror walked off to wherever Harry was. It must have been in the same corridor, as about five minutes later the door unlocked and Harry walked in, straight away looking at the smiling and now rather charming-looking elf.

"Hi Hermione. What's he so happy about?" he asked, gesturing toward Morty.

"Just an elf pacifying spell," she said." I'm sorry if I called you away from your case?".

"I was glad to get away from the git," Harry said. "It will be a while before we get anything from him. At the moment we're at the boring, 'you won't get a thing from me' stage and 'I won't drink anything you give me' stage."

"Oh. Well, I thought you might be able to make this part of the case faster," Hermione said, not aware that she wasn't really looking at the man and was avoiding much eye contact. "I wondered if you'd be able to get into this odious earwig's head and then extract the memories that Kingsley seems to think reside in there, that are helpful. I thought it would be faster if the person extracting knew roughly what they were looking for, rather than pulling random threads."

"Good idea, Hermione," Harry said, producing his wand from his pocket.

For a quite a while Harry probed the elf's mind with legilimency, and that was followed by around twenty-five minutes or so of Harry teasing out memories he judged relevant, and what would be the most useful. He filled ten vials, and said they were all location and meeting-type memories and suggested that some identities could be discovered from them.

"Thanks Harry. I'll get these vials back up to Shacklebolt," said Hermione, closing the briefcase. "OK I'll take the spell off now. Be warned, he makes Blast-Ended Skrewts seem friendly."

She raised her wand and pointed it at the elf, smiling inwardly to herself as Harry actually seemed to take a half-step back, and reversed the spell. Immediately the soppy grin Morty had been wearing tightened into an ugly furious snarl.

"You mudblood shite! Master will kill you!"

Harry looked at Hermione concerned. He had always hated hearing his friend called that, and the death threat made it all worse. He looked to his friend and saw that she just stood up straighter, staring at the elf. When she spoke it was in a calm, low voice, which would have chilled most people.

"One day, you will wish you had done things differently here. I was the only one able to help you. You will find that most of the magical world doesn't care about insignicant creatures like you."

"Won't take hand outs from you, disgusting mudblood!"

Hermione turned towards the door, and knocked three times. The auror called through and on hearing the session was finished, unlocked the door and let them out. Hermione looked over her shoulder as she walked through the doorway. She had never met an elf with so much hatred before, he made Kreacher's early acquaintance with her, seem pleasant.

"Piss off, PISS OFF, PISSSSSSSSSS OFFFFFFFF!" the elf shrieked.

The door was locked on the depraved elf. Harry waved the auror on, saying they had finished for the moment.

"Are you alright Hermione? That can't have been nice to deal with?"

"Understatement!" she replied. "Oh well, I've had worse. Hopefully you've got all you need and I won't have to deal with him again."

"Yes. Hopefully."

As they stood in the corridor, Harry looked down, as if thinking hard about something. Hermione was hoping he wasn't thinking about something external to the Ministry business today. _Wrong!_

"Hermione, would you have a coffee with me?" he asked her.

"I'm a bit busy Harry. I have to write up the report of what happened here and..."

"I know, but we need to talk about some things, Hermione. Sooner rather than later," Harry urged.

Hermione exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding onto. It was inevitable, that Harry would want to talk to her, especially after the weirdness of Saturday. Well, at least if things went badly, she could go home and hide away from the world and her problems for a few days...providing the Minister didn't want her for a case again.

"Alright. I'll take these vials up to Kingsley, sign all the paperwork and I'll meet you in the entrance foyer in say, half an hour?"

Harry smiled and nodded to her. _If he's smiling at me, it can't be too bad can it?_ Hermione thought.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Hermione handed over the briefcase of memory vials to a very pleased Kingsley Shacklebolt and handed over her concise report too. He hadn't thought Harry would have time to deal with house elf issues, but was very pleased that it had worked that way.

Only running about five minutes late, Hermione found Harry in the Ministry foyer. He had turned to and was looking in her direction as she arrived.

"Let's go," Harry said.

"Are we going to a magic or muggle place?" she asked.

"I thought muggle would be better. There's a nice cafe just around the corner from here."

Hermione nodded and walked beside him. They left through one of the other exits, this one appeared to come out of a workshop for prosthetic limbs, and it faced out onto a different street and in a different direction to the one Hermione used to enter the Minstry.

They walked down the street, neither talking as the traffic and screeching of London's buses, and black cabs made it hard to be heard. The cafe was indeed just around the corner, at the bottom of the street. It was fairly small, but very clean, with just enough bustle to make any conversation private.

As they entered the cafe Hermione went to a table at the back of the room and Harry went to get the coffees. He came back shortly afterwards carry the two coffees and bag of cookies.

"I didn't know if you wanted anything to eat or not, so I thought I couldn't go wrong with cookies," he smiled, setting down the cups onto the table, and sitting down opposite her.

A pregnant pause of silence fell between them, and both were wracking their minds to find a way to start the conversation. So, of course, they started talking at the same time.

"Herm..."

"So Har..."

Hermione gestured to Harry. "No, you go first. After all, you asked me to have coffee with you."

"I'm sorry about Saturday, Hermione," Harry said.

She wasn't sure how to answer that, not knowing, as of yet, what he knew about the whole event; so she just nodded and idly stirred her coffee, willing him to say more, if only to give her a hint as to how she should proceed.

"Ginny told me all about it," he said.

_SHIT! _Hermione thought, but answered. "She did?"

"Well, when I say 'all', I mean she told me the gist of things. I know why you were upset and left."

He looked up at her, to see how she would react or whether she was ever going to say anything.

"I...I...I was being silly, Harry," was all Hermione could think of to say.

"Ginny and I have broken up," Harry said. Hermione did look up then. "Yeah, I know, you'll half expect us to get together again, right?" the man continued.

"Well, you have before, Harry?"

"No, this was the real thing. I think it's final this time. I only have myself to blame for not being more committed earlier," said Harry looking very down.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, while thinking..._you did it Ginny, you actually bloody did it! _That thought should have made her feel like dancing a jig, but she immediately reined herself in, remembering all the complications that faced her, one of which was opposite her sipping his coffee.

"I know what happened yesterday and I want to thank you, Hermione."

"What?" Hermione uttered before she could think properly. _Why is Harry grateful that I'm the reason Ginny dumped him? _She took a cookie out of the bag and nibbled a bit of it to give her some more thinking time.

"Ginny told me that you were only trying to protect me."

Hermione coughed on a crumb. _WHAT? And why do people keep telling me these things when I'm eating and drinking?_ She hoped the small flush of mixed emotion on her face wouldn't give anything away. It appeared it didn't and that her friend might have taken it as embarrassment, or a result of coughing on the cookie.

Harry continued on. "Ginny said she told you she was going to break up with me and that when you saw us in the attic fooling around, that it upset you, to think she was playing with me, literally."

Hermione took a gulp of her coffee, wishing she had a huge shot of Hagrid's brandy in it. She decided to play the whole thing vaguely.

"Well, I wouldn't quite put it like that, but I was concerned for you both," she said. _There, that wasn't exactly lying...unlike a certain redhead...if I ever get my hands on her...and strictly in the non-sexual way! _Her thoughts had drifted off until she realized that Harry was talking again.

"...matter whens, whys and wheres, I kind of know what you were thinking when you saw us. I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle of it all."

Hermione had another sip of her coffee. _You have no idea what I was thinking, Harry!_

"So what will you do, now?" she asked, trying to deflect the conversation a bit.

"I'll carry on with my work at the Ministry, I'll still be living at Grimmauld Place. In a lot of ways nothing will change. I just won't have that _potential _Ginny option anymore. I was stupid to think she would keep coming back to me and waiting."

He took a cookie out of the bag and broke a little piece off it and ate it, looking a little lost.

Hermione felt so guilty seeing him looking forlorn and she kept hearing everyone saying all the "he's been through so much" sentences from over the years, which made her feel worse. On the other hand she thought that she herself had been through a lot too, so why did Harry have a better qualification to happiness with Ginny than her? _Great, now you're thinking like you're a couple of puppies fighting over who gets the squeaky toy! _She shook her head at herself.

Her natural curiosity peaked and she asked. "Sooo, what did Ginny do after you had that talk, or however she told you?"

"She went back to Holyhead last night instead of today," Harry said. "She needed some space, of course, and as I'm sure you can understand her mum isn't taking it too well," he grimaced.

"Oh crap! First Ron and I, now Ginny and you?" Hermione put a hand to her mouth, to stifle a little laugh at the chaos of everything. "I'm surprised she's not in St Mungo's for the disappointment and shock she's had these past couple of weeks?"

Even Harry had to smile. "I expect she'll go into maximum knitting mode to cope".

Hermione did giggle then. The tension had dropped slightly.

"I thought Ginny might go straight to your place, because she was very upset, almost distraught about the way you left. She didn't, or I should say, _couldn't_, talk to me for over an hour," her friend added.

Hermione kept a small ironic smile in her mind, forbidding it to reach her lips. _Ginny was upset and distraught over me leaving? Really? How interesting! Oh gods, listen to yourself woman! _

They were at a point where nothing much more could be said and there would be inevitable silence again, so Hermione made a point of looking at her watch.

"I think I had better move now. I have a couple of errands to run for myself." She didn't have any errands to run in reality, but it sounded good; she made to stand up, then rested a hand over Harry's. "I'm sorry, Harry."

He looked up at her with a sad expression and nodded to her. "I'm glad we talked, Hermione."

"Me too," she said, although in her mind she was having a battle of sincerity..._you've been lying to him since you walked through that cafe door Hermione! How is he going to react when he knows the truth about you and Ginny? Bugger that, I'm not with Ginny am I? So there's no big lie! Yes, you keep telling yourself that, dear! Arrghhh! _

"Thanks for the coffee, Harry. I'll see you soon, either at the Ministry or wherever," Hermione stood up.

"Yeah, see you around, Hermione."

With that all said, Hermione left the cafe and made her way to a tube station. Yes, she could go to an Appariting point and go straight home, but she fancied taking the long route, by tube and a walk from the nearest station to her flat to get a little air.

She walked into her flat and went through to her kitchen to get a cold can of coke from her fridge. It was then that she saw an owl on her kitchen windowsill outside. It was a small tawny owl and was leaning against the window with it's eyes shut.

"How ever long have you been there?" she said out loud.

The owl stirred, turning its head round to stare through the window. It couldn't get through the window there as it was only a small push-up type. So she went through to the living room which doubled up as a dining room at one end, and opened the larger window there. The owl worked out what she had done, and fluttered across to the larger open window, steered in through it and landed on top of the dining table. The table was the leaf kind, which could be made smaller for space and had two leaves to pull out to make it bigger.

Hermione took the letter from the owl's leg and fetched it some water and a treat. She was also uncertain of whether she would need to send a reply.

She turned the letter over and looked at the handwriting. It was from Ginny. Hermione felt a bit confused as to how she truly felt about that. Was she excited over what the letter might say, now that she had talked with Harry? Or was she dreading having more complications or more rejection?

Hermione knew procrastinating over opening it, wondering what it contained, was ridiculous and she would only know the answer to that if she actually opened the thing and read it.

_Dear Hermione_

_I need to see you. We need to talk._

_Love, Ginny._

As she laid the letter down on the table, Hermione felt very disappointed. She was hoping for a bit more than that, but there again this _was_ a Weasley and although Ginny was far more elegant and eloquent than her brother Ron, she still shared the same genes.

What to do? She wanted to see Ginny so badly, she wanted to know what the woman was thinking. Yet, she still had this annoying confusion, which made so little sense, when she had wanted that woman to notice her for so long. _Hellooo, Ginny does notice me, but I don't know what to do about it. _

There was no point in being all timid and aloof; the only way she would get some answers was to talk with the woman. She would particularly like to grill her over what she had told Harry. However she decided she had had enough excitement for one day and it wouldn't hurt to have a little time before she replied to Ginny. She was fresh from talking to Harry and processing all he had told her, and she herself was raw from the events of the past few days. A part of her was weirdly feeling too proud and not wanting to seem like she was throwing herself at the woman.

After the owl had rested and had restored its energy she simply let it go again, without attaching a letter to it. She would contact Ginny tomorrow, maybe, a new day and a new challenge.

For the rest of the day Hermione became engrossed in a new project, which until now she had frowned upon and once vowed she would never do; she became a couch potato. She ordered pizza, and watched some TV; one of the channels was showing reruns of 'Bewitched' which she found hilariously bad. Hermione felt particularly wistful when she saw a cartoon again which she had loved as a young kid, 'Count Duckula', the vegetarian vampire duck. Being a couch potato for half a day, was quite fun, but also a terrible waste of useful time. _Oh well, you have to experience everything at least once,_ she thought.

XXXXXXXXXX

For a couple of days Hermione kept herself to herself, doing odd jobs around her flat, reading some magical and muggle works she had been meaning to read for ages, and if she admitted it, generally trying to avoid the subject of Ginny. She was surprised the redhead hadn't arrived on her doorstep demanding to talk to her, as Weasley's were never the most patient entities on the planet. Part of her was slightly disappointed that that hadn't happened. She hadn't received any more letters, so it crossed her mind that Ginny might have been busy herself, with training or something. To think in that way, also let her fool herself that she didn't need to do anything and Ginny would contact her again anyway. Also her slight issue of pride was adding to her feelings about it all.

Hermione was finishing washing up her breakfast things when she heard a tapping noise on a window somewhere in her flat. She went through to the dining area of the living room and saw a barn owl waiting at the window. She opened it and let the owl inside. Hermione untied the letter from its leg. It wasn't from Ginny, which subdued the little feeling of excitement which had begun to simmer deep down. _Why would she write when you ignored her earlier letter anyway?_ she thought.

The letter was from the Ministry, from the Minister himself.

_Hermione,_

_The Death Eater Felgate has escaped, surprisingly with his elf too. We don't know how it happened yet. We believe you might be in danger. One of the memories Harry and yourself extracted has placed you as a target for many years. There is no telling how much..._

There was a knock at her door, distracting her from the letter. She automatically picked up her wand from the table, holding it, ready for anything that might be on the other side of the door.

Hermione approached the door, as the doorbell was pressed. She unlocked the door and was about to turn the doorknob, but as her hand touched it, she was thrown back violently, with what can only be described as an electric shock.

Her wand had flown from her hand as she landed, winded on the floor, someway back from the door. She then discovered that she couldn't move; something unseen was binding her. Then she saw the door was open and there was a man standing in the doorway wearing a smug grin. He was of a stocky build with short, dark brown hair, greying at the temples.

"Well, look at that! We hit the jackpot first time!" He clasped his hands in front of him and cracked his knuckles with a mad kind of glee. "Go on then, get her wand you dopey prat!"

To her horror, Hermione saw the ugly, evil, capering little form of Morty the house elf scurrying up towards her and to the side, to pick up her discarded wand.

"Ho ho, want to offer me some sweet nothings now, mudblood?" the elf hissed.

"MORTY!" Felgate bellowed. "I told you to get her wand, not flirt with her!"

"Sorry master. Morty was just so pleased for master." The elf scampered back and handed the wand to Felgate.

Felgate walked closer so that he was looming over her prone figure on the floor.

"They all said the 'Boy Who Lived' was the dangerous one. Kill Harry Potter! Pah, I knew the truth, but would they listen? No! The Dark Lord had lost his touch, along with his marbles!" Felgate bent over her to look straight into her face. "Oh no no no no, it was YOU we should have concentrated on."

Hermione had felt remarkably calm when she had first found herself bound by magic on the floor. She was always known for having a cool head in a tight situation, right from her first year at Hogwarts. But calmness had gradually grown to terror, she tried hard not to show it, but she was sure the two intruders could hear her heart racing madly in her chest. She wondered if she had been tongue-tied too; it appeared not.

"Why, why are you doing this now? Voldemort is dead," Hermione stated.

"Yes, that snake-faced bastard has gone. But revenge, and thought of vengeance can smoulder and be so sweet when the opportunity arrives," Felgate answered in a calculating voice.

"What did I do? I know I was on Harry Potter's side, but it was he who killed Voldemort, won the War and changed the path of things. Not me," she deflected.

"What did you do? Who was it helped Potter to escape nearly every time the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord had him in their grasp? Oh yeah, YOU!" He poked a finger at her sternum to emphasize the word 'you'. "Who was it prodded the Potter boy to nearly every piece of information he needed? YOU! Who was it worked out how to kill the pieces of the Dark Lord's soul? That would be YOU too!" he jabbed at her, causing her to flinch.

"How will...c..capturing me do any good now?" Hermione asked.

"It won't do any good, but it will make ME feel better, won't it?" Felgate smirked. It was obvious that this guy was a few sandwiches short of a picnic, which seemed to be a common trait with Death Eaters. "Now we can't be staying here can we?"

"Master? Morty suggesting _Home_ home?" the elf uttered.

"I know that, you bloody stupid piece of shit. I wasn't asking for suggestions. I was saying we need to get moving."

Oddly the elf didn't look at all deterred, and almost radiant, bathing in the verbal abuse of his beloved master.

As the Death Eater was bantering back and forth with his elf, Hermione knew she was going to be taken somewhere. She didn't have her wand, she didn't even have a DA token coin anymore; although if she had, it was debatable that anyone else still carried theirs around with them. All that was left was some kind of wandless and wordless magic. She had to think fast, she didn't have enough to strike an attack, not against a Death Eater _and_ his nasty elf, so she would have to leave a message somehow.

A patronus was impossible in her current predicament. The only thing she could think of was Dumbledore's ghostly presence at Grimmauld Place all those years ago, acting as a guard to all people entering the house.

She could feel her hands on the floor at her sides, she tried to dig her nails into the carpet as deep as they would go, and focused on the word 'help'. She had no idea if it would work, but hopefully she had managed to imprint enough of herself onto that spot in the hallway. Of course, she then had to rely on someone trying to find her at home to see it, and somehow find out where she was taken, but she couldn't worry about that now.

Felgate looked at her as she grimaced and strained. "You can't move my lovely! So you might as well give it up," he said, thinking she was straining at the magic which held her, not trying to perform magic herself.

Hermione realized that she hadn't seen Felgate using a wand, then remembered how several Death Eaters were nearly as powerful without one as with one. That thought didn't help her feel any better, only doubled the worries.

Morty must have said something else not needed as Felgate cuffed the back of his head. "Just shut up!" The elf still seemed to enjoy whatever his master said or did to him, as if _any_ attention was better than no attention at all.

Felgate walked over to her, got hold of her arm and she felt a pulling, nauseating sensation as she was Side-Along Apparated to the Death Eater's 'Home', wherever and whatever that was.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks again for your comments and for reading my drivel. :) This update includes Chapters: 11, 12 & 13. **

**A warning=Not for the squeamish, and don't hate me too much for it. ;)**

**In case anyone wondered or didn't know, the title of this story "If You Can Meet With Triumph And Disaster" comes from my favourite lines of one of my favourite poems; "If" by Rudyard Kipling. **_**'If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same.'**_** As I completed this story it seemed the perfect title.**

11

Hermione staggered, trying to get her balance and footing as she arrived wherever it was they had Apparated to. She was aware of fresh air, grass on the ground and a large building or house nearby. Having her body bound magically didn't help. She was about to look around to get more of an idea of their location, aware it was isolated and possibly hilly. Suddenly she felt a horrendous thud of pain to the side of her head, and as she blacked out, she remembered only the thought that she had been punched. Whether the punch was a physical one or a magical one, she didn't have time to decide.

"We can't have you seeing my home now, can we?" Felgate chuckled.

Felgate liked inflicting pain, and even more, he liked power over people. Oh taking possession of this mudblood wouldn't make any difference to the old cause of the Dark Lord, but he never liked following the crowd. What he did, he did for himself these days. Pure, personal pleasure. But inflicting a little suffering on to this witch, would make him feel more justified that the Dark Lord should have listened to him. A case of 'see? I was right!'.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione awoke, or in reality, regained consciousness, to the sensation of still being bound. Her neck was stiff and her head hurt. She was sitting on a stone floor, up against a wall. She moved her eyes and saw that she was physically bound with chains, both her wrists and her ankles, with the chains attached to a place on the wall. Wherever she was, it was cold, damp and dark, except for a small amount of light coming through the crack in a small boarded up window or vent.

"Mudblood is awake, is she?" the familiar voice of Morty said.

Hermione couldn't see where he was at first, but as her eyes adjusted to the gloom she could see his large elf eyes staring at her from across the room, and the shadowy outline of his cruel little body.

Hermione didn't say anything. What was the point? The elf disappeared and then minutes later she heard heavier footsteps, along what sounded like a corridor off the room.

Felgate appeared, waving his hand and lighting a couple of the torches along the walls.

"Hello darling. Sleep well?" he chortled. Morty started giggling too, but got a slap around the back of the head.

Felgate walked over to Hermione. "Don't you know any manners?" he grabbed hold of her chains and hauled her up on her feet roughly. "You always stand when you have visitors or guests."

It didn't seem to take any real phyiscal effort to haul her up and she suspected that the chains which held her also had magical properties of some kind, or were enchanted.

Hermione remained silent. He pushed her up against the wall, and he seemed to lean forward as if he was going to kiss her. His lips were hovering over her neck, but instead he inhaled deeply.

"I love the smell of fear. It makes life worth living."

Hermione felt her hopes falter, and instead braced herself for what would come before her death.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" she asked, surprising herself with her level voice.

The Death Eater pulled his head back to look at her. He had almost black eyes that looked even more evil in the gloomy light of the room.

"Where would be the fun in that? I've gone to a lot of trouble to get to you, I don't want it over just yet, do I?"

He pulled out an ornate knife, which had a shimmering blade, almost like the blade was made of a moving liquid. "This belonged to my Great Great Grandfather," he said holding it up for her to see. "He forged it himself. I wonder if it's still sharp?" he grinned.

Felgate ripped the front of Hermione's shirt open, a couple of buttons scattering across the floor. He pressed the blade just under her left collarbone, taking joy from the flinch of the flesh underneath it, and dragged it along a couple of inches. The skin opened up and began to bleed. Hermione gasped, the sheer sensation of it making her unable to scream in pain. She was trying so hard not to give him any reaction, but it was impossible.

"Good ol' Great Great Grandad! It's still as sharp as the day he made it!" said the Death Eater with reverential delight. "We've tried a straight cut, I wonder about the point of it, don't you?" he asked his captive.

Hermione blinked back tears; she could feel the burning pain of the cut and could feel the blood dripping down her chest. Before she had any time to brace herself Felgate stabbed the knife into her left shoulder joint from the front. It slid into her flesh, like the proverbial knife through butter. She hunched over in pain, able to cry out in agony. He had left the knife in there.

"Hmm, the point is perfect too. I think I ought to take that out don't you? It must be uncomfortable stuck in there?" Felgate asked in sardonic concern, after a few moments.

He got hold of the hilt of the knife and turned it as he pulled it out. Hermione had only ever felt pain similar to that once. _Not again! _Her mind was taken back to the time she was at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange. She could feel the blood running out from her shoulder, and she couldn't stop the loud groans escaping her lips.

"Morty, shut her up will you?" Felgate asked, while studying his knife near to one of the lighted torches. For the moment he seemed more obsessed with his knife than his captive.

The house elf wore a sickening grin as it approached Hermione. She was having trouble seeing, from the tears and the pain from her wounds making her lightheaded. The elf had used his own magic to tug on her chains, making her go to the ground again. He walked up to her and punched her hard twice to the head, nearly knocking her out the second time, the room spun in her vision. She decided to fake being knocked out to see what would happen.

"I said shut her up, not knock her out, you dozy pillock!" Felgate scolded his elf as he looked up at the moment Hermione appeared to be knocked unconscious.

"Sorry master," the elf walked back to his master.

"I was only getting started. What use is she if she's not awake to see and feel it?" Felgate kicked his elf hard, and the creature flew about six feet across the room.

"You stay here and watch. Fetch me when she's awake again," Felgate said as he strode from the room, still fondling his ornate knife.

After a while, Hermione weirdly, had actually fallen asleep and had no idea how long she had been out of it, but when she awoke, she had enough sense not to appear awake and shut her eyes again. After a few moments she peeped through her eyelids. She could see the viscious house elf and with nothing to lose she thought she would try something unexpected.

"Morty?" she called softly.

"Mudblood is awake again? Must tell master!" the creature said, followed by a rustling sound of it moving it's feet.

"Wait Morty, I want to ask you something?"

"NO! I won't talk to a mudblood. Master said to fetch him. I fetch master," he rambled on.

"How did you escape the Ministry?" Hermione probed in a quiet voice.

"Shut up. I won't tell you anything," Morty replied indignant.

"It's just...it was so clever. I admire clever plans as your master knows. After all, it was I who helped plan Harry Potter's victory. Mr. Felgate must be extremely intelligent and cunning to achieve your escape."

Hermione was hoping to appeal to the elf's vanity over his precious master's status. It might just have worked.

Morty stopped moving, obviously thinking about what she had asked. Hermione prodded onward.

"I'm going to be dead soon anyway, what harm is there in telling me?" she instigated again, avoiding a shiver that threatened to occur through her body, when she spoke of her own mortality.

She could see Morty turn around on the other side of the room. It just might have worked.

"I must fetch master," he said, but he was definitely waning.

"I want to know how you both did it. It worked so brilliantly, I would like to know how. Please Morty?"

The elf walked up to her and in a low, almost whisper, told her. "It was easy. Master has friends in Ministry. They help and look the other way when we walked out."

"You walked out of the Ministry? How? Someone must have seen you?" she asked incredulous and completely puzzled, wondering just how many people with Death Eater connections still operated within the Ministry.

"Polyjuice from friend and a spell," Morty said.

"A spell? But that would be detected wouldn't it?"

"Not elf spell. Wizards always think elf magic is nothing," Morty said with a contented expression. "So master and I walked out as two wizards." The elf seemed to come back to himself again.

"Now, I fetch master," he peered into her face.

Hermione was genuinely impressed. She just hoped she lived long enough to make use of that information at a later date.

Hermione heard the footsteps once more and shortly Felgate was in front of her again, she made sure to stand up.

"Have a nice nap?" he asked with a satisfied grin.

"I've had better, and the room service here is dreadful!" Hermione found herself saying. _Oh what the hell, go out like a lion...a Gryffindor Lion_, she thought.

Hermione quickly doubled over in pain, after Felgate had punched her in the stomach.

"I don't like sarky cows!" Felgate fumed, glaring at her as she tried to get her breath back.

"Hmm...they say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, so I understand," Hermione managed to say, wheezing slightly. Another punch came.

"Think you're clever, don't you?" he said.

"I don't think it," Hermione managed to gasp out ."I know it. 'Hermione the insufferable know-it-all'. That's what everyone always called me." She waited for the punch to come, but it didn't. _Interesting._

"Being clever, is not going to help you now, is it darling?" Felgate said smugly.

"Well, probably not, but I like to keep to a habit of a lifetime."

She was bracing for the punch that was sure to come this time, and when it didn't come again, she looked up.

Felgate was chuckling. "The Dark Lord wouldn't have known what to do with you. No wonder the sad old bastard lost."

Hermione was aware that in this depraved and bizarre world she found herself in, that that was a compliment.

"Morty, this woman has amused me. Get her some water."

In her attempts to wrong-foot her enemies, she herself was being caught off-guard a little.

"We'll continue this tomorrow," Felgate said, twiddling his beloved great great grandfather's knife idly in his hand and walking out of the room still chuckling to himself.

A few minutes later the house elf came back with a large tankard of water.

"Here's your water, mudblood," he rasped.

"Thank you Morty," Hermione said.

The elf eyed her suspisciously. She found she was unable to move her left arm, from the pain that occurred when she attempted to move it, thanks to her shoulder wound, so she used only one hand to pick up the tankard. She drank thirstily from it, but not so quickly that she choked. It did occur to her to try her earlier tactics again.

"Why did your master never overpower Voldemort?" she asked.

There was no reply.

"If he's clever enough to escape the Ministry and all that we know of him, he seems better suited to have led rather than followed?"

It seemed to have worked again.

"Master, was always an outsider. No go to Hogwarts, so no loyalty to anything that the Dark Lord and his closest Death Eaters valued. Slytherin things and all that."

"I see," Hermione answered. "I'm glad."

"Filthy mudblood!" Morty spat.

"I mean, I'm glad he didn't get to lead. I'm not sure our side would have won against one as clever as him," she said, immediately seeing the elf puff his chest out in pride. "It was amazing how he found me and where I live! How did he do that?" she continued to ask.

"You cast a spell on me, dirty mudblood, master used its signature to find the one whom cast it."

He was still calling her names, but with less of a scowl now. _Was that a sign of progress? _She would love to know the trick to tracing magic to an owner like a homing beacon. Luna would be fascinated to discover that skill.

"I'm sorry Morty. I had to cast that spell. But I made sure it was one that didn't hurt you," Hermione tried.

The elf stood very still, completely uncertain what to say or do. No one had ever said 'sorry' to him for something they had done to him. It made him very confused and angry.

"You've had enough water now, mudblood. I go."

Morty picked up the tankard which still had some water in it and bustled away stomping his small feet. There was the sound of a door being locked in the corridor, and then silence.

Hermione was still very thirsty and hungry too, although she suspected some of the ache in her stomach was from the punches and nerves, rather than hunger. For the first time she had seen a tiny spark of something in the elf. The smallest of small signs, but a sign all the same, which she recognized as potential to work on. She just didn't know if she would be alive long enough to make any use of it.


	12. Chapter 12

12

_Soft warm lips met her own, as she wound her arms around the wonderful woman in front of her. She pressed herself closer to the other's body, and was rewarded as one hand got a hold of her backside and squeezed, making her moan in pleasure. The other woman kissed a trail down her chin, jawline and neck and settled on her collarbone, sucking the skin and marking her there, hurting with pleasure, making her call out in a breathy moan "Ginny."_

Hermione awoke with a start, immediately she felt the pain in her shoulder again and realized that in her sleep she had laid on her left side, aggravating that wound and her sleeping position had tugged on the collarbone slash where the 'Ginny' in her dream had been loving her. That wound wasn't bleeding much now, but it was nowhere near healing. In the muggle world, she knew she would have need of stitches.

_Oh Ginny_, she thought as she remembered her dream. She realized she had not thought of her since just before she had opened her door, back at her flat. Her thought processes were completely mangled and she considered that part of her didn't want to think of Ginny, because it made her predicament all the harder to bear. Waking this morning though, she felt that it was something she could hang onto and give her strength to face whatever came. Ginny _would_ be with her, in her heart.

Felgate visited her a couple of times during the day. It appeared that alongside the usual nasty and psychotic views that all Death Eaters had, that he also had a little more than the normal, obsessive compulsive disorder.

He became annoyed that he had only given her a cut along one collarbone, and muttered to himself about symmetry or something, so made sure to make a cut along the other one to match, although a lot shallower than its twin. Thankfully he wasn't as bothered with giving her right shoulder the same treatment as the left. But he decided that she didn't have enough cuts yet and made a couple of small ones along her stomach.

Hermione, had got to the point where more pain didn't really register with her. If it got beyond her body, she found herself just passing out for a time. One thing she had noticed was that her captor hadn't touched her sexually. She was, of course, grateful, but also wondered why that was. _Was she not attractive to him, or was he just not into girls, or was it both? _Whatever the reason, it was a small mercy.

The rest of that day, she didn't receive any new injuries, but Felgate did come to talk to her; well, it was more of ramble about nothing in particular, and he suddenly made a show of acting like he had just seen her wounds. She wondered briefly if something had clicked in his mind and he would attend to her injuries. Sadly he put a hand on her first collarbone wound and pressed hard, pulling it open again. It was quite deep, so didn't take much to prise open. That was perhaps more painful than when he had first taken the knife to her.

He had probably seen the small prick of hope on her face and this amused him greatly, as he walked off and left her again. It was something he repeated again and again, opening that first cut sometimes with the knife, sometimes with his fingers. In this odd world, it made Hermione think of a bird that kept sticking its head into a nest to check on its eggs. Except she had no idea what Felgate hoped to find or prove, everytime he opened that wound up. She had lost all track of days and hours, and how many punches or kicks she received as well.

Hermione felt herself going lightheaded again, but in her mind she pictured Ginny, standing before her with a fierce, penetrating gaze, her long lovely hair moving behind her in a breeze. Thinking of the woman she loved, steeled her resolve and when she found herself sitting on the floor again, she had held onto her consciousness instead of blacking out, after Felgate's latest sick attentions to her.

The house elf brought her water and some bread. He was also responsible for cleaning away the waste from her bodily functions. It was only an old bucket, but it was the elf's job to clean it out. He used his magic for that, which only made it slightly less embarrassing, even though she had had mainly fluids and had not had enough food to have much to pass.

She didn't think she was imagining it, but Morty certainly didn't seem to have as much venom towards her. He still spat 'mudblood' at every opportunity, but it had almost began to sound just like a name, rather than an insult. She wasn't sure what the point to it was and why she bothered, but she continued to work on the elf. She made sure to be over polite to him. Hermione could see that it was confusing the elf greatly.

Morty came to magic away the waste from her slops bucket one evening.

"This must be horrible for you," she said with truth. "I'm sorry it's up to you to deal with it."

The elf looked at her, with his head to one side. "House elf's duty, mudblood," he said simply.

Hermione wasn't entirely sure how far her tactics had worked with the elf, but it couldn't be denied that the longer she was in his company, the less he showed aggression towards her. Maybe he began to see that she was no threat, especially in this condition, and that mudbloods were not as bad as he had been taught. Whatever the case, she was relieved to not have the ugly little critter shouting and swearing at her anymore.

"I'm sure you would rather be doing something else though?" Hermione voiced.

Morty leaned his head to the other side, as if hearing two sides to an argument. He blinked at her in thought. "I serve master," he said, before footsteps were heard in the corridor again.

Felgate was back for the third time that day, much to Hermione's horror. He was forever twiddling with that blasted knife, almost like it was an extension of himself. He hadn't used magic to torture her at all, he seemed to prefer traditional methods.

"How's my clever girl then?" he asked her as she dragged herself to a standing position.

"Wonderful. I was then thinking on what to order for supper," she replied.

In the last couple of days she had been unable to work out when her words would result in a punch or when she seemed to amuse him. This session, he was amused.

"I've been thinking about my keeping you here," he said looking at her with no definable expression. Hermione kept her gaze on him, a tiny element of defiance in her. This also seemed to tickle the man's mentally disturbed sense of humour.

Felgate continued on. "I ought to mark you as my property," he showed his teeth in a horrible smile. "You know, maybe on an arm, so even when you're dead they'll know you were my property at the end."

Hermione didn't know exactly what that might entail, but worst case scenarios stacked up in her busy mind.

He reached out with his knife and moved it down the left sleeve of her now tatty and bloodied shirt, slicing open the material there, and slightly grazing the skin underneath. He grabbed hold of her arm, causing her to yell out, as her left shoulder was still on fire with pain when it was moved. Felgate poised the knife in his hand as if it were a writing quill and looked set to write or doodle a symbol on her forearm with it, but he stopped dead.

"What's this?" he said, ignoring her yelps of pain as he brought her arm up, into better light to study it.

"Did you do this to yourself?" he asked her, referring to the white, but clear scar, of the word '_mudblood_' on the inside of her arm.

"Why would I do _that_ to myself?" she replied as though he was stupid.

"So who did it? TELL ME!"

He seemed very agitated and angry now. Hermione knew he was a nutcase, but she didn't have a clue why he was getting all shirty now.

"A Death Eater," she said. "During the War."

"WHO?" he shouted at her. "WHO was it?" he tightened his grip on her arm, almost twisting it, causing her to shriek with pain.

"Bellatrix," she gasped, crying long gone dry tears "Bellatrix Lestrange."

Felgate studied her and looked like he had just been hit in the face with a frozen fish. He released her arm and stepped back from her.

"LIAR!" he bellowed to her.

Hoping he wouldn't grab her arm again she babbled out "I was captured and taken to the Malfoy's, Bellatrix was there, and she tried to get information from me. When I wouldn't co-operate she did that, amongst other things," Hermione said in a calm voice, desperately hoping not to resurface too many of those memories.

"You lie. The Bellatrix I knew would never let a mudblood, let alone the friend of Harry Potter, go free!" Felgate said with conviction.

"She didn't let me go. I was rescued," Hermione replied.

"Rescued by whom? That crusty old fart Dumbledore, I suppose?" he took a step toward her again to gauge how truthful her answer was.

"No, Dumbledore was dead by then. It was a house elf," she said sadly, thinking of poor, brave little Dobby.

"A house elf? Rescued YOU out of Bellatrix Lestrange's grasp? What utter bullshit!" laughed Felgate.

"It's true. Voldemort and the Malfoy's never gave house elves credit, and ignored their very special brand of magic. A wizard or witch couldn't save my friends and I, but a brave house elf did."

Felgate took a step back again, and Hermione was sure he had gone a little pale for some reason. He started to mutter to himself.

"No no no no no no. Not right. Why her. Of all the... No no no no." He came over to her again and spoke into her face, so she could feel his breath.

"This is most...hmmm. Oh yes. I won't waste the flesh though," With that he swiped his knife down her bare arm along the length oh her bicep, leaving another cut; this cut was not all that deep, but was a good four inches long. Felgate then turned on his heel and walked out of the room, still muttering to himself seeming more and more disturbed, waving to his elf. "See to her."

Hermione was utterly confused as to what had happened. _Why did he care if Bellatrix had tortured me? _She saw Morty making his way over to her with the now familiar tankard of water. Hermione slid down to sit again, mainly to be on the same level as the elf.

"Do you know why your master seemed upset, Morty?" she asked in a quiet voice.

The elf placed the tankard down in front of her. She didn't think he was going to answer. He was listening to make sure his master had completely left this part of the house before he looked back at her.

"Master is very protective over his possessions," the elf said as though that explained everthing.

Hermione thought a moment, then a notion came to her. "Is he upset that another Death Eater has marked me first?"

Morty nodded. "Perhaps. He never liked Bellatrix." he said.

_Who did? _Hermione thought wryly. "But she's dead, she was killed in the last Battle. What's the problem?"

"Death Eaters never trust death to be death. Especially not between themselves," Morty said and walked away, leaving her to process all the new information.

_So Felgate didn't like the fact I was already marked, and it seems it might be because he half expects Bellatrix to show up and demand her property back. He's afraid of Bellatrix! I don't think that's useful information at all right now. But it's interesting that Felgate can be put off balance so much though. _

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione drained the last of the water from the tankard and tried to lie down and curl up as best she could and thought about trying to get some rest, trying to ignore the burning and painful sensations in her body. She was pretty sure at least one of her cuts had begun to get infected. _I'll probably be dead at the hands of Felgate before the infection kills me_ she thought sadly.

Morty came back half an hour later to retrieve the tankard again. Sleep hadn't come to her, and she opened her eyes to look as the elf picked up the vessel.

"Thank you," she said, still being polite to him.

She closed her eyes again and heard the elf shuffle off, but stop after a few steps. Somehow she was aware that the house elf was staring at her, so she opened her eyes and looked back at him.

"Is there something else?" she asked, making the elf flinch slightly, as if being caught with a hand in the cookie jar. He kept looking at her, obviously having some kind of internal battle.

Morty turned again and shuffled off but had left the tankard near the doorway and she didn't hear the door locking out in the corridor. Then the elf appeared again, looking sheepish, if such a term could ever be applied to this little creature. He walked slowly up to her.

"Is it true?" he asked in a low raspy voice.

"Yes, Bellatrix held me captive and marked me." She sighed deeply. The elf looked over his shoulder then back at her.

"No. Morty wants to know, did you get rescued by a house elf?"

_Wellll...this _is _interesting, _Hermione thought, raising herself to a sitting position.

"Yes it's true." She thought carefully before continuing. "He was the bravest elf I have ever met."

"Who was his master? One of your side's wizards?" Morty asked.

"Dobby had no master. He was a free elf. And he died a free elf," Hermione told him, studying his face for reactions. At the mention of being free the elfs ear's flicked back for a moment in either shock, horror, terror, surprise, or all four emotions.

"Dobby? He was the Malfoy's elf? Who made him rescue you?" Morty asked confused, and possibly a touch frightened.

"No one. Harry Potter needed help and Dobby came and rescued us. Dobby decided to do it at the request of another friend, but no one ordered him to or made him do it," she waited again for what the reaction would be.

"Did his master kill him because he disobeyed them?"

"No. He was free in every sense of the word. He was free of the Malfoys a long time. Bellatrix killed him as he rescued us. He'll never be forgotten."

Morty was completely lost, both for thoughts and words, so Hermione tried to push what little advantage she had.

"That's what I was trying to talk to you about at the Ministry. Should you choose it, you could be free like Dobby was. You could do as you pleased, no one would have to order you around."

"Mudblood talk, that's all that is," Morty slightly snarled. "I serve master well."

"I know you do Morty," Hermione paused again. "But why do you serve him? Why do you feel so loyal to him?"

The elf didn't answer immediately, probably because he wasn't sure how to.

"Always serve master and the generations before him. They always treated Morty well," he finally said.

"Treat you well? _Pffttt_!" Hermione dismissed. "I've seen him kicking you across the room, using you as a punch bag and swearing at you."

"You will not talk about master like that. He's kind to Morty," the elf defiantly spoke.

"Once Dobby was free, no one kicked him, or hit or swore at him, except the wizards on the dark side, who all treated house elves as slaves. Dobby was asked for his opinion and respected. Harry Potter buried him with his own hands, saying he deserved his own piece of land to rest in peace," she kept a watchful gaze upon the elf. She was definitely working some magic here.

"Only the weak would choose that!" Morty exclaimed.

Hermione decided to try something else that had come to her. Sweet Dobby probably wouldn't convince Morty of the possibilities, but this other option might.

"Morty, have you heard of the Black family?" she asked in a vague way.

"Of course. Purebloods, very old family. Very good family."

"Have you heard of the house elf, Kreacher?" she probed further.

"Yes. He serve the Black house for many generations. Good elf, understands how the world should be," Morty replied, not realizing how talkative he had really become. His curiosity had got the better of him after all.

"What would you say, if I were to tell you, Kreacher obeys, willingly, everything Harry Potter asks of him. Harry Potter still has him living with him." Morty's eyes went wide. "Kreacher has often made and served me soup when I visit too," she added. There, she had planted the seed.

"But...you...YOU...probably stunned him or did what you did to Morty!" he frantically searched for a reason to this bizarre behaviour from a fanatical pureblood house elf.

"Uh-huh," Hermione said, not resisting a slight curve of a smile from touching her lips. "Harry was Sirius Black's heir, he inherited Kreacher. They hated each other to begin with, but Harry showed him kindness and Kreacher was nearly as brave as Dobby in the War. And is allowed to think for himself too. He chooses to be with Harry even now. Had he wanted to leave Harry said he could go wherever he liked, he was free. A free elf has free will."

Morty had actually flopped down on the ground with his little legs stuck out in front of him. He held his head in his hands.

"No, you lie...not meant to be like that," he was muttering, mostly to himself.

"Why do you hate mudbloods?" she asked suddenly.

"Master says mudbloods weaken the magic world, disgusting mating with purebloods..."

"No, why do YOU hate mudbloods Morty?" Hermione re-emphasized.

"Master and masters Felgates for generations guide Morty," he answered in a definitely uncertain voice.

"Yes, but why do YOU, Morty the house elf, hate people like me?" she asked again.

The elf scratched at his forehead with one hand and scratched at an ear with the other hand.

"You're trying to confuse me. Dirty trick!" he got up startled, pointing at her.

"Why would I do that? I'm chained up, at the mercy of your master. What use are tricks?" a deliberately innocent and weary sounding Hermione replied.

_This is good, the elf is almost breaking in my favour_, she thought.

"Don't know, don't know. Master tells Morty what Morty should think." he managed to say.

"I'm telling you now, you can have so much more. If you still want to serve someone, fine, but it will be someone who appreciates you and never forgets that you have feelings and that you can feel pain, and have amazing magic of your own to help them with their daily tasks. All you have to do is want it? Or you could stay shackled to your master, who hates your kind nearly as much as he hates mine?"

Morty leaned his head to the side again. "Can't. Master find out. Already in trouble." He scurried off and she saw him pick up the tankard he had left over in the doorway to the room and hit himself over the head with it.

_Ah-ha!, _Hermione observed, _he wanted it, he's tempted_. Suddenly she was filled with a hope she had thought all but lost.


	13. Chapter 13

13

In the morning, after what could have been a day or more, she was so uncertain of time, Hermione was awoken by Felgate taking a kick to her legs. She stirred groggily and heaved herself to her feet, her body full of pain, and a feeling like she would never have enough sleep, even if she slept for a whole week.

"I have to go out for a little while," Felgate said to her. "You ought to know, you're miles from anyone else here. No one would hear your screams. No one..." he rambled on.

Hermione found herself tuning her mind off from what he was saying. He was basically saying 'tough titty, you're mine and you're stuck here in the middle of nowhere'.

She tuned back into him as he said. "Morty will guard you. He will tell me if you so much as piss in the wrong direction."

He shoved her back, so that she lost her footing, and yelped as she tried to stick a hand out to break her fall. The Death Eater turned and left.

Hermione was utterly alone for the moment, no doubt Morty was helping his master before he left the house. She thought of Ginny. If only she could see her again, just once, just to hear her laugh. Goodness! She would even settle for hearing her shout at her or make fun of her. _I must be delirious and desperate, because I would even settle for seeing her make out with Harry...just to _see_ her,_ she thought.

She was taken from her thoughts when the elf returned. He brought her some porridge, or at least that's what it looked like and some water.

"Thank you," she said. "How long will your master be gone?"

"Can't say, won't say," he said almost proudly, then he looked at her again. "Don't know."

"I probably don't have long left, Morty. Have you thought over anymore what I talked to you about?" She ate a little of the porridge, which actually tasted like a feast, after having hardly anything.

After a short time, Morty was looking at the tankard of water again, and reaching his hands out to it. Hermione dropped her spoon and took the tankard out of reach with her right hand.

"You're tempted aren't you? I can see it. I know these things. I've worked with house elves for years." She did half expect an angry outburst, but it didn't come.

"How does an elf live with shame of dishonour if he leaves master?" the elf asked slowly.

"There IS no shame Morty. There is more honour and courage in taking your freedom. The shame is only to the master themselves, for proving what bad masters they were to lose their elf."

The elf started punching his own face. "Master NOT bad. Master NOT bad. Master is good to Morty." Hermione couldn't help but feel mildly amused.

"Morty!" she said sharply, the elf stopped in mid flight, before he landed another punch on his own nose. "Look at me! Do you see honour here? What did I do? I fought for my friends, I fought for freedom for all creatures and peoples of the magic world. And your master cuts me up like _I'm_ the evil maniac; he chains me up like a dog and he's going to kill me soon."

The elf watched her with his big eyes. He didn't look like he was about to shout her down or swear at her, so she pushed onward.

"You know yourself, that you don't know why you hate people like me, that even your thoughts are controlled by your master and you're not allowed your own. I can tell you, that when we captured Felgate we would never have done to him, what he's doing to me. Yes, he would go to Azkaban, I won't lie, but he wouldn't be tortured and killed. The Dementors are long gone."

She sat back, not knowing how else to put things. Her head was throbbing now and she was feeling a bit queasy, she suspected it was a combination of eating some porridge and possibly infection, or just weakness from blood loss.

"Don't know. What can Morty do? Just an elf! Master will kill me," he was muttering to himself again.

"You _can_ help me Morty!" she leaned forward again, eager.

"How? Master will KNOW!" He appeared to be angry with himself more than with her or the confusing situation he found himself in.

"Morty? MORTY!" she shouted at the elf to break through his mutterings. "Did your master take my wand with him?"

The house elf blinked at her. "No. He has his own, his friends at the Ministry gave it back to him, he not need another." Hermione could have almost clapped her hands in glee.

"Do you know where it is?" Morty nodded. "Bring it to me." He looked fearful again. "Once I use it, you can take it back to where you found it and your master will never know."

Hermione thought he might start punching himself again, but he started walking slowly to the doorway as if each step was made walking through glue.

Morty was gone for quite a while and she feared that either Felgate had returned early, or the elf had reconsidered and decided to stay away from her. However, after what seemed about half an hour later, he walked back into the room to her holding her wand.

"If you break your chains he'll know it was me helped you," the elf almost whimpered.

"I'm not going to free myself. I don't think I can anyway, because I'm sure he's used a spell on these chains, something I have no knowledge of."

"Why need wand?" Morty asked uncertain, then something seemed to dawn on him. "You were going to use a spell on me? You were going to get me to free you? Then take you somewhere?"

"No, that's not what I'm going to do," she said, exhausted beyond belief in trying to get the elf to understand and trust her enough to hand over the wand.

"Swear on it!" he snarled.

"What could I possibly swear on, that would prove my honour to you enough? Hmm?" she asked exasperated.

"Swear on Harry Potter's life and this Dobby's honour," he said, still a huge part of him thinking he was being tricked. Mudbloods couldn't be trusted, he had always been told that, so there must be some truth in it.

Without hesitation Hermione said, "I swear on Harry Potter's life and the memory of brave Dobby the house elf, that I will not put a spell on Morty and not force him to do anything that he doesn't want to do." She put her right hand over her heart for a little more effect.

Morty had studied her closely and was astounded that he couldn't detect any hesitation or lie in her voice, eyes or body language. He crept closer and held out her wand to her. Hermione grabbed hold of her wand almost reverently; it felt a little foreign in her hand and like it had been years since she had last held it.

With the house elf watching her, nervous and afraid, she closed her eyes and took several calming deep breaths. She thought of Ginny, of the two powerful kisses they had shared and how that made her feel. She held out her wand, and wordlessly thought "_Expecto Patronum._"

Hermione was prepared that she might not have enough energy for it to work, but after a short time her otter patronus flew out from the end of her wand. Morty threw up his hands to shield himself from the bright light and whatever creature had been conjured in front of him. The otter looked around at its caster.

Initially she didn't know where to send it. Not to the Ministry, as it couldn't be trusted not to be seen by a friend of Felgate's working under their noses there. She did the only thing which made sense, she sent it to the Burrow.

Hermione willed her words into her patronus, keeping it brief, not being able to give a location or anything. It was basically a case of _'help. I'm chained up and can't escape', _having no more energy to add more. The otter trotted forward but with every step it began to get more faint and as it began to pass through the wall, it seemed to have begun disintergrating and dissipating.

After her patronus left, she leaned back against the wall panting, sweat pouring down her forehead and face. She wasn't very hopeful that her patronus had been strong enough and that made her feel very dejected. She held the wand out to Morty.

"Take it back. Make sure it's exactly where you found it."

She felt naturally reluctant to have her wand taken away from her again, but it was the only option to maybe buy her some time and give her a sliver of hope.

The brunette picked up the bowl of porridge again. It was cold now, but she ate some more of it, realizing she needed to keep some strength, just in case.

Morty returned again. "It's done."

He was still very unsure of exactly what he had done or how and why he had taken that path. Hermione studied him.

"I won't ask anything else of you. You've done more than enough," she said to the surprised elf.

Hermione was tired and couldn't remember a time when she wasn't. Even those few days at the Burrow had been exhausting before she even went to the Ministry. Her stomach ached, probably trying to decide what the hell that porridge was. She also couldn't remember a time when she didn't smell of both fresh and stale blood and also stale sweat featured highly. She laid on her side, curled up again to try and fight off the cold of the stone floor, and closed her eyes.

She was aware of the elf staying in the room, but he was supposed to be watching and guarding her. Hermione didn't know how long she had been asleep, but she awoke to the sound of a slammed door and the dreaded footsteps in the corridor. She was aware that her skin felt clammy and a little hotter than normal, she didn't know whether it was a fever from infection or her body just fighting in general.

She dragged herself up and managed to get to her feet as Felgate stomped in. He didn't look happy. In all honesty he was only happy when he was sticking his knife into her; until he had found Bellatrix's handywork, that is.

"I'm getting tired, are you?" he asked.

"Yes. I was sure I booked the room with the four-poster bed," she still managed to jest. Today it earned her a cuff to her jaw. _That was different. _Her vision blurred and she kind of shook her head like a wet dog to stop the room spinning.

"Maybe today is the day," he said looking for her reaction. Hermione did the stereo-typical gulp, but it was mainly to stop her porridge from earlier reappearing.

"Maybe not," he smiled. "I haven't really decided. But I do know you're truly mine now."

He pulled out his damn knife and grabbed her left arm. He must have cast some kind of spell on her, because she couldn't even flinch in his grip. It occurred to Hermione that he might have been somewhere today for proof of Bellatrix's demise or guarantee that she wasn't about to resurface again.

She assumed he was going to inbed something into her arm; a word, a symbol, but what he did was drag his knife through the word 'mudblood' and put a couple of cross cuts over it, making it look like a elongated version of the number symbol '#'.

Hermione was numb to the pain after the first stroke. She did think, _my my, he IS bothered about Bellatrix having got there first! No better than a dog peeing against a tree._

"Hmm, that's so much better," Felgate said happily.

He was almost high with his satisfaction and looked at her with a strange expression.

"Mine, yes, mine, you belong to me," he was muttering to himself. "That will teach you."

He had lowered a hand to his own crotch. The next thing she knew he had replaced the knife in his hand with his wand, he waved it once and the button and fly on her jeans became undone.

_No. Nooooo. Not now. Why now? _Hermione thought desperately, knowing what was going to happen.

Felgate pushed her to the floor, which wasn't very difficult in her weakened and fearful state and he flicked his wand again to lower her undone clothing.

Hermione closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more. Unfortunately that didn't stop her from feeling him shoving his appendage into her. She was too weak to cry out with the discomfort and pain she felt as he huffed and puffed above her, his heavy solid body pressing her into the hard, cold floor. It seemed to last forever but finally he grunted loudly and stilled his movements. Bizarrely she had the feeling of her clothes being pulled up and her jeans refastened. Felgate was a total nutcase, so she didn't bother trying to work that out, all she knew was that he had acted like the dog she had considered him to be and had marked his bitch in more ways than one.

Hermione was feeling even weaker now, maybe it was the pain, the shock, or that latest violation had made her body try to shut down, she wondered if she was feeling the beginnings of death claiming her. She could feel the familiar drip of blood down her arm and felt her body begin to go limp. She knew she would probably be punched for that or yanked up by the chains, but she didn't care right then.

As her vision went black she heard a couple of clinking crackling noises and assumed it was her chains as she hit the floor, not even strong enough to wince as she made impact with the ground. Or it might have been a rib breaking. She didn't care one way or the other. At the very last moment she thought of Ginny, and then it was all black and silent.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Thanks everyone for your reviews. ****I've had some nice comments and messages about the dialogue I've written. My style is probably thanks to my love of interaction between people and that previously I've only ever written stories in the form of scripts with very little description. :)**

**This update is Chapters 14 & 15. It's the start of what I would call several mini arcs, but all working in the same direction and following on from each other. I refer to these two chapters as "Beginnings".**

14

Hermione felt her chains around her wrists being pulled on and let out a deep-throated groan. Was she dead? Was she dreaming? Hermione thought the answer was probably no to both, and part of her was almost disapppointed, because it meant more time for further torment. After all her hopes, she knew the end was near; no time left. She didn't open her eyes, she was too tired. _Let Felgate do what he wants to me. So what, if he decides to use magic on me now; what does it matter, let it be done with now. Let me die!_

A memory came to her as if playing on a screen under her eyelids. It was of the moment Ginny asked her for another kiss, that night at the Burrow. Such bliss, such passion they stole from each other in that small moment. How she wished she had swallowed her pride and confusion and just went to her after receiving her all too brief letter that day. She had a heavy feeling in her stomach and assumed she'd been kicked or punched again, it caused the blackness and silence to return.

How much later it was when she felt the blackness recede she didn't know. Now she felt a pressing sensation to the wounds along her collarbone and then her arm. She let out a guttural growl of pain, knowing Felgate was splitting her open again.

"Bloody kill me," she was able to whisper.

"What?"

"Kill me you bastard. DO IT!" she said louder, panting.

"Hermione?"

"You heard me!" she almost shouted.

Hermione felt fingers brush gently against her jaw and cheek.

"Shh, it's OK," a woman's voice said. "You're safe now," the woman said while gently stroking the side of her face and holding her right hand.

It hit Hermione then, that she hadn't actually heard either Felgate or his house elf's voice since she had stirred this time.

She slowly opened her eyes and leaning over her was Ginny. Hermione's first reaction was that the whole thing was an illusion, with Felgate using legilimency on her, turning her own thoughts against her. She flinched from the woman who looked like Ginny, tensing up and looking away from her. She then saw that on the other side of her was Mrs. Weasley, holding clean bandages and a bottle of something.

Hermione slowly began to take in that she was no longer on a stone floor. It wasn't dark and damp and it felt like..._yes_...she was lying in a comfortable bed and this looked a lot like Ginny's room.

"What?" Hermione uttered. It had to be a trick. This was too good to be true.

"No, this isn't real. Felgate, you coward, let me see you," she rambled in a strained voice, tears now falling from the corners of her eyes.

"Felgate is dead, sweetheart," Mrs. Weasley said kindly. "Which is what you nearly were if we hadn't found you when we did! You've been here at the Burrow for five days now."

"What? How?" she asked, her head feeling about to burst with all the information and realization she had to work through. And yet, she felt _very_ awake now and extremely alert.

"Your patronus, what else?" Mrs. Weasley said, smiling.

"But I didn't think it would work properly, and I didn't think you'd find me?"

"It was Ron," the older woman revealed.

"Ron?" she exclaimed, now feeling even more awake and inquisitive to the core.

"I know, it doesn't sound likely, does it?" added Ginny, with a large element of scorn.

"Harry found your help signal at your flat when no one had seen or heard from you for two days. Very clever, dear," Mrs. Weasley continued as she carried on wrapping a clean bandage around Hermione's left arm. "But it wasn't enough to know where to look. We all knew so little of Felgate. So Harry set to searching through the case files with Shacklebolt and some aurors, in case there were clues there, but there wasn't much beyond the fact the elf seem to love a particular old house in the country and thought about it frequently...but we didn't know where it was. Ginny returned from the start of her training, refusing to go back until you'd been found and Ron was pretty much the same too. Had Luna not been out of the country on an assignment I'm sure she would have come back as well, she seemed most upset that she hadn't been here when Harry saw her yesterday."

Hermione turned her eyes to Ginny, who held her hand again and smiled at her. She felt a little embarrassed that everyone had dropped everything and set to solving the case of her whereabouts; she was very glad, but still embarrassed. She turned her attention back to Mrs. Weasley.

"We were having lunch, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Arthur and I when your otter patronus dashed through our closed door," the older woman said laying a hand very gently on the top of Hermione's shoulder. "Ron immediately jumped up, rushed off and came back with his deluminator and somehow worked out to use it with your patronus." Hermiones eyes had gone wide.

"I don't really understand it myself, I'm sure anything Albus Dumbledore invented will never be understood fully, but it guided the way and we found you with it," Mrs. Weasley said. "We were sure we were too late," she said, her voice breaking just a touch. Hermione could feel Ginny squeeze her hand slightly at that moment too.

"I don't know what to say," Hermione said in a quiet voice. "Wait, you said Felgate was dead? You did, didn't you?" she asked nervously, hardly daring to believe it, but hoping it was true.

"Yes, he's dead."

"Who? How?" asked a tense but enquiring Hermione.

"Well, we were going to take him alive. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Arthur and myself found him in that dark room he was keeping you in...more like a damn dungeon. There was no time to call for aurors but we knew Kingsley would want him alive if possible. We duelled for a while, and Ginny here was about to cast a huge _reducto_ spell on his head...always lets her temper get the better of her, that one," Mrs. Weasley frowned at her daughter, who looked rather affronted.

"Anyway, she got pushed aside by Harry dodging a spell and clattered into Ron. Felgate turned around and was about to cast something on you; it was the big Unforgivable Curse. Green light shot out from his wand, but it kind of bounced off you and hit him back. He essentially killed himself."

Hermione wore an incredulous expression. "The Killing Curse _bounced_ off me? What the...what?"

Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter and back at Hermione.

"Well, tell her Mum," Ginny insisted.

"It seems...something or someone else had put a magical shield over you, once we entered the room." Mrs. Weasley had put the remaining bandages down and the bottle, and was sitting with her arms folded now. "But Harry says it's most improbable to be Felgate's elf because he says you and he met that very elf at the Ministry and he...he was pretty nasty to you, shouting death threats or something."

"Morty? Morty cast a magical shield over me?" Hermione asked. She smiled and even chuckled lightly, causing the other two women to look at each other questioningly.

"Hey, house elves are my speciality," she beamed at the other two women. "I think I finally got through to him. Where is he now?"

"Harry locked him up in the attic and set Kreacher to watch him when we got back, but he's at the Ministry now," Ginny answered her.

"I'd like to speak to him," Hermione stated.

"Is that wise?" Mrs. Weasley asked, not quite believing her ears.

"Yes. I know he wants to change. He seems to have saved my life. We owe him a chance," Hermione replied.

As Hermione smiled at how her tiring experiment on the elf had actually paid off, she didn't notice Mrs. Weasley growing more uneasy and suddenly very serious.

"Before we talk of anything else, there's one thing I need to ask you, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, sounding extremely serious now. "Forgive me, it's a bit personal. Would you prefer it if Ginny wasn't here?"

Hermione wondered what on earth it was. _Surely the woman can't still be wondering if I'll marry Ron, can she?_

"It's OK. Ginny can stay," Hermione answered without hesitation.

"I'm sorry to ask you. I didn't want to assume or go ahead with anything until I could ask you," the woman was rambling slightly. "But...did...did that man...touch you...," Mrs. Weasley was struggling for the words, half through embarrassment, half through the potential anger she was trying to keep under wraps expecting to hear a 'yes' answer. "...did he, rape you?"

Ginny's grip on her hand tightened almost painfully when the word 'rape' was spoken.

"Not...until that last day I remember. He wanted to mark me as his, in every way possible," Hermione said, shrugging her one good shoulder, staring down at the turn-back of the sheets on her chest, not quite able to look at either woman, tears threatening to fall.

Until that very moment she had almost forgotten, like it was something that had happened to someone else, then she could feel her sore groin again for the first time.

"My dear, dear girl," Mrs Weasley said, voice almost breaking again, as she held on to Hermione's other hand. "I'm so, so sorry we didn't find you sooner," she sniffed.

Ginny had a couple of silent tears rolling down her cheeks. It hurt her deep down inside to hear what Hermione had been through.

"Before that last day, I wondered if he thought I was butt ugly, or he didn't like girls!" said Hermione in an oddly calm voice.

"You are not ugly! Far from it!" Ginny exclaimed. "His loss," she sniffed, then quickly added. "...bollocks, you know what I mean?" the redhead lowered her head again.

Mrs. Weasley gently patted the side of Hermione's cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry I had to ask. It's just that the sooner I knew, the sooner I can make sure nothing...well, develops from it," she smiled kindly at the brunette, although blushing a little.

"I'll go and mix up a potion for you and talk to Harry about the elf," the older woman said, rising up from her seat. "You watch her, Ginny".

Hermione rolled her eyes "I'm hardly going anywhere am I?" she said flabbergasted. Mrs. Weasley just uttered a couple of 'tut tuts' and left the room.

It was silent in the room for a time, neither Hermione or Ginny knowing how to start talking.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said first.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Sorry? Bloody hell woman, what have you got to be sorry about? You nearly died at the hands of that madman turning you into a human kebab. It makes me sick to the stomach to think about what he's done to you!"

"I just meant, I wish I had replied to your letter. I wish I had met up with you. I was being stupid and proud," Hermione turned her head away again on the pillow.

"Forget it Hermione. You're alive, that's all that matters."

"I can't forget it, I'm alive because of you," Hermione still didn't look at Ginny.

"Hardly! It was Harry, Ron, Mum and Dad. I was just a weeny bit of help," the redhead said modestly.

"No. I'm alive because of _you_ Ginny," Hermione took a deep breath and turned her head to look at the woman again. "Not long after it all started happening...everytime that man...," she couldn't quite describe it. "...every time he _visited_ me, I thought of you. Every time I saw blackness approaching, I saw you. If it hadn't been for you, I would have given up days ago."

Ginny had another tear rolling down her cheek, and she was still holding Hermione's hand almost fiercely.

"Some friend I am? I should have found you sooner! I should have got to you. Instead my bloody brother does it with a couple of clicks from that blasted device!" Ginny said angry, more tears joining the previous one on her cheeks.

"Your brother can be amazing sometimes, Ginny!" Hermione smiled. Ginny rolled her eyes. "The point is, I was found and I'm here now. Please don't be angry with yourself."

There was a silence, as both women became accustomed to the fact that Hermione just being here now, was something to be pleased about and to have no regrets on. Ginny was looking down studying her hand clasping Hermione's.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked in a very quiet voice. "Before all this happened, Harry told me that you had split up?"

Ginny raised her head sharply. "Oh yes. I did what I said I'd do," she hesitated. "Did he...did he say anything else?"

"Now what could Ginny Weasley be asking me about?" Hermione chuckled. "Maybe something about me rushing off upset, because I was trying to _PROTECT_ him from your slutty ways and that I was worried he would be hurt by you, by any chance?"

The younger woman had the grace to blush and dipped her head again. "I...I...well, I... he jumped to conclusions and I didn't...I...didn't correct him."

Hermione snorted derisively, but amused. "Forget it! It's hardly the biggest issue after all that's happened is it?"

Ginny lifted her head again, still blushing a deep shade of Weasley-red but was able to smile at her, if a little guiltily still.

"Ginny?" asked Hermione softly. "I know this...this ordeal...it...it might change things," she seemed unable to go on.

The redhead moved her gaze back to Hermione's face and looked at her intensely, wondering what the brunette was going to say and fearful of it at the same time.

Hermione ploughed onward. "Are you still willing to give '_us'_ a chance?" she dropped her brown eyes down again. "You know, to be together? I know it's weird that I should be asking about it now, with what you know about everything, but you were on my mind the whole time, I thought of nothing else. I guess now, I feel a bit more desperate."

The redhead didn't answer, and with Hermione not able to bear looking at her she felt her heart sink again.

"I understand if you don't. If you just want to be friends or want some space for yourself...or...," but Hermione didn't get to finish her sentence. Ginny had leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her lips, cutting off whatever else the brunette had tried to say. Ginny sat back down again and brought Hermione's hand to her her lips and kissed her knuckles.

"Um, is that a yes?" Hermione asked, finally able to look the woman she loved in the eye again.

"I thought you were the brightest witch of our Age?" Ginny teased.

"I lost so much blood, maybe some brain cells seeped out with it!" Hermione laughed.

Ginny wasn't laughing though, her eyes were full of tears again.

"Don't!" The redhead became tense. "I nearly lost you, before I truly found you. I ached for you. I've never felt that way about anyone before. When I saw you lying there, in that awful place, blood all over you, I thought we were too late. When Mum said you were still breathing I could have danced a jig, then felt punched again when she said it still might be too late; you had a bad infection that was spreading and had lost sooo much blood."

Hermione found tears leaving her own her eyes again. "Sorry Gin. I think it will be a while working through this don't you? And not just for me."

"Yes. But you'll have my family there for you, even including Ron, and you'll have me," she kissed the back of Hermione's hand again.

Mrs. Weasley came bustling back in, causing Ginny to drop Hermione's hand quickly. The older woman looked at both of them, seeing that they had both been crying since she had left.

"Everything alright?" she enquired, setting down two mugs on the bedside table.

"For the moment," Ginny replied. "We were just talking about the fact that it might take all of us a while to get through this."

"Yes dear, it will. But we have each other, don't we?" she put an arm around her daughter and smiled down at Hermione. "Drink all the contents of that blue mug and it will sort...any...er problems out."

Mrs. Weasley moved to sit on the side of the bed and held Hermione's hand again.

"Do you hurt anywhere else, love? You know, from...where _he's_ been?"

Hermione couldn't speak, for fear of breaking into sobs, so she just nodded. Mrs. Weasley could see the trouble she was having and could guess where she hurt anyway.

"OK, my love," the older woman said kindly. "It just so happens there's a spell to help that. It was devised in medieval times when...well, when this kind of thing was unfortunately more common. Because of the nature of the injury and the manner of it, there is a spell that can heal that type of injury almost straight away."

Hermione was relieved. It was dreadfully awkward and embarrassing, but she was relieved that Mrs. Weasley seemed to know what she was doing, as she immediately drew out her wand and muttered something under her breath, which Hermione didn't hear; within minutes she couldn't feel the soreness between her legs and everything felt fairly normal again down there.

"Thank you," Hermione said, timidly and slightly ashamed. "I don't know what else to say."

"You don't have to say anything Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said with a weak smile. "But you're going to live with us for a while. I insist!"

Hermione had been about to refuse, but she thought about her little flat and what had happened there the last time she was there and she hated that she actually felt fear about being alone there. It only hit her just now, that she couldn't deal with it.

"Thank you," the brunette managed. "I don't know if I could face going back home for a while yet," she admitted to the two women. "It's so bloody stupid. I can face Voldemort and some bastard cutting me to shreds, but I can't face my flat?" She turned her face away from the other two, ashamed for feeling so weak.

Ginny got hold of her hand again and Mrs. Weasley bustled around the other side of the bed and gently placed her hand over Hermione's other hand. She leaned over and placed a kind, motherly kiss on her forehead.

"It's not stupid at all, dear," the older woman smiled at her. "You're family, and family stick together."

"I'm so sorry," Hermione suddenly said.

Mrs. Weasley was about to ask her the same thing Ginny had. "What on earth have you got to be..."

"No. I'm sorry about Ron. He's a good man. I wish I could have been truly a part of the family."

"Don't talk nonsense dear, you ARE truly a part of this family and always will be," Mrs. Weasley beamed at her. "What happened to you was like a hit over the head with a beater's bat for me. I'd been so selfish and mumsy. I didn't think about what you really wanted and what was right. I'm the one saying sorry here, as it should be! There's nothing for you to be sorry for, OK?" she almost glared at the girl lying there. "OK?"

Hermione nodded. "Are Ron and Harry around? I'd like to see them if they are?" she asked her virtually adopted mother.

"Heavens, I've had to nearly bar the door to stop them trampling in to sit at your bedside," laughed Mrs. Weasley. "I'll go get them." She bustled off again, skirt and apron flapping.

Hermione grinned at Ginny. "I don't think now is the time to tell her that I have the hots for another of her children is it?"

Ginny snorted with laughter. "She'd probably think it was George or no NO! She'd get excited and think Charlie finally had something to pull him away from those dragons!"

It felt good to laugh, even though it hurt Hermione's injured body to do so.

The door opened again and in walked Harry, followed by Ron. Both men looked pale, well paler than normal, and had bags under their eyes from obvious stress and lack of sleep.

"Alright Hermione?" Harry asked a little lost for what to say. "I mean, of course you're not alright, exactly..."

"Hi Harry. Give me a bit of time and I'll be fine," she said brightly.

"Hi Herm," Ron said in a very low voice, looking down at his feet.

"Ron. I wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for you and your quick thinking with the deluminator." He looked up at her. "Thanks Ron. Nothing I say is enough, but it means a lot to me." She detected a quirk upwards of his lips to one side of his mouth.

"Hermione, are you sure you really want to see that cranky old elf?" Harry asked in a way that suggested he thought her too unwell to make good decisions.

"Yes I'm sure." Harry was about to protest but she cut right over him. "Who do you think it was, got me my wand to send that patronus? I sure as hell didn't walk and find it...because hello? I had my wrists and ankles chained?"

"The elf brought you your wand?" Harry asked, eyebrows high up over his glasses, eyes wide.

"Yes. I think I was getting through to him, because he started hitting himself over the head a lot," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Ron chortled. "Perhaps he attended the 'Dobby School of Self-Harm'?" A glowering look from Ginny shut him up straight away.

"OK, if you're sure. We'll arrange it soon, when you're feeling better," Harry sighed. "I'll put on my body armour first" he said only half-joking.

"Harry, just take Kreacher with you," Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

It almost felt like old times, with the banter and Harry and Ron coming out with the type of things they always did. The difference now, compared with early Hogwarts life, was that she wanted to be alone with Ginny, not Ron now.

Hermione's eyelids were getting heavy and Ginny seeing this, got up and prodded her brother and her ex-beau out the door. They waved back at their friend and said their goodbyes as they were herded back out onto the landing.

Mrs. Weasley came back in the room with Ginny at her heels. She picked up the clean bandages again, which she had been holding earlier.

"Hermione?" the older woman asked softly, the brunette close to dozing off. "I'm sorry dear, but I have to change the dressing on your stomach. It won't take long, and then you can sleep."

Mrs. Weasley pulled the sheet back and carefully lifted the T'Shirt Hermione was wearing. There was a large square white dressing covering most of her stomach. Ginny sat down beside the bed and held Hermione's hand as her mother eased the old dressing off, causing Hermione to wince a little.

Hermione looked down at herself as best she could. Due to the dark, dank conditions of the room her captor had held her in, she hadn't seen the damage to her abdomen properly. What she saw horrified her. Along with four slashes, which were already beginning to heal, she was black and blue and purple with bruises.

She gasped in shock, partly because she couldn't remember getting all four gashes. Ginny squeezed her hand; she had seen these wounds before, but it still broke her heart to see them each time and to see Hermione affected by them now.

"Soon be done," Mrs. Weasley said, as she used some of the contents of the bottle, which obviously contained a potion of some sort, and dabbed it onto the new dressing and placed it over the area, covering up all the wounds, fixing it into place with some magically applied medical tape.

"There we go," the older woman said, after pulling Hermione's T'Shirt back down and smoothing the sheets back in place. "Now you can get some sleep." The woman grabbed the old dressings and left the room. "Drink the contents of that other mug, the green one. It's a sleeping potion. It makes sure you don't dream too."

Ginny rose from her seat. "Sleep well Hermione." She was about to lean over and place a kiss on her forehead when Hermione grasped her hand tightly.

"Don't leave me! Please don't leave me, not yet?" Hermione asked desperately fresh tears building in her eyes.

"Hey, sh sh. It's OK," Ginny sat back down, gently brushing strands of Hermione's hair from across her forehead, her heart dropping like a stone, to see such a confident and intelligent woman like Hermione, so hurt and frightened. "I'll stay. I'll be right here, OK?"

"I'm being a pillock Gin. I know I am," Hermione settled down again. "I'm just not ready for you to go, when all I've thought of for days is thinking I'd never see you again."

Hermione drank from the second mug and closed her eyes, but soon opened them again and looked back at Ginny.

"See? I'm still here." the red-haired woman smiled.

"Gin?"

"Yes?"

"Where have you been sleeping, while I've been here?" Hermione asked.

"I've slept up in Charlie's old room and Mum stayed in here with you."

"Would you sleep in here tonight? Please?" a blushing Hermione asked, feeling like a little girl and annoyed at how weak she sounded.

"I'll have to work it out with Mum, but I'm sure I can now you're past the worst dangers."

Hermione smiled warmly, and felt a sense of contentment, a feeling she hadn't felt a lot of lately. She closed her eyes again, in safety, holding onto Ginny's hand.


	15. Chapter 15

15

It was surprising what even a small portion of Mrs. Weasley's cooking could do to help the healing process. Hermione had had to be careful with how much she ate, being so sore and also going without proper food for days. She had small portions and often, to gradually build her up.

It had been a few days since she had regained consciousness at the Burrow, and she was able to get out of bed now, and take a short walk across to the bathroom, which made things much less embarrassing for her.

The wounds on her stomach were nearly healed already, and it appeared the potions and healing of Mrs. Weasley would leave her with no physical scars there, and she already had a much smaller dressing over those wounds. The same could not be said for her other injuries. The wound to her shoulder would leave a scar, as would the cuts made across Bellatrix's old scar. The others would take a little longer than the stomach to heal, because of their depth, but Mrs. Weasley said she was hopeful they would be nearly scarless too.

Ginny slept back in her own bed, and Hermione felt so safe sleeping in the same room as her. Even so the redhead and her mother insisted she keep taking a dreamless sleeping potion, fearful that nightmares would only serve to lengthen the physical healing.

Ginny had gone to Hermione's flat and brought a lot of her things back to the Burrow for her. Hermione didn't know when she would go back there yet, so it made sense to have all her clothes and every day things brought to her here.

It was today that they finally felt Hermione was up to seeing Morty the house elf. It was late afternoon and she sat on her bed, enjoying the feeling of wearing proper clothes, rather than just a T'shirt, and waited for Harry to bring the elf upstairs with him.

There was a knock on the door and Morty entered, followed by Harry, who had Kreacher with him, but asked his house elf to wait outside and guard the door. Morty didn't look at her and kept staring at his feet.

"Hello Morty," Hermione said. "I believe I owe you my life?"

There was no answer, the house elf jiffled a little under her intense gaze.

"Thank you," she went on. "That was brave of you to defy you master."

He grimaced, and he shook his head, his big ears flopping droopily.

"You feel bad, don't you? Because you betrayed your master?" she asked. The elf did look up at her then.

"Dishonourable," he said quietly.

"No," Hermione replied. "No. What you did is the kind of thing house elves everywhere will talk of for a long time. Not with disgust, but with pride and respect for you."

"What will happen to me now? No Felgates to serve, no life, no house," Morty mumbled.

"Do you want to be free to find your own way?" she asked kindly.

"Morty is scared of being free. Too big to think of."

"This will take some thinking about," Hermione said, more to herself. She was deep in thought, thinking of the options. Morty didn't seem to want to go free, and a lot of other elves wouldn't trust him, may even hate him for his previous employment and what his former master's recent actions were. She couldn't place him with just anyone, they might not be tolerant to him, nor him to them as he had a history of being more aggressive than any elf she had ever met before.

After a short silence, Harry spoke. "I have a solution," he said. "One I considered the other day in fact, and have asked the person in question, and she's willing to help."

Hermione looked up at him surprised. "Who's willing to help?" she asked, ignoring for the moment that Morty was looking between them as if they were hitting a ping-pong ball back and forth.

"Andromeda Tonks," Harry said. "When I saw you were so certain you wanted to give this Morty a chance, I thought of her. I asked her about it, and she said she would help if needed. After all she grew up having some contact with Kreacher, if she can stomach him, then this will be no problem."

Hermione brought her attention back to Morty. "Would you like to serve Andromeda Tonks?"

"Tonks? Never heard of her," he said uncertain and a little condescending.

It would take a lot of time and work to get Morty to think of half-blood and muggle-born, and indeed lower placed families as just as worthwhile. However Andromeda Tonks, could be the key.

"Maybe not as Tonks, but before she was married she was a Black," _That's got the elf's attention_. "In fact she's the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy." _Oh that's really got his attention._

"Good family. Noble family," the elf said enthusiastically.

"Morty," Hermione said with a note of caution. "Andromeda isn't like her sisters were. She's like Harry and me, and was against her sisters. She was very brave to turn her back on her family because she couldn't stand the pureblood obsession or the amount of people hurt by it," she paused for effect. "If you served her, you would not be going back to your old ways. You would be starting a new life, and helping in the house of a courageous woman and her grandson. Her husband died in the War, and her grandson's parents were as brave as they come, and they both died fighting Voldemort too."

Morty looked thoughtful, but the chance to work for a Black, in whatever capacity had won him over. Besides, although he would be slow to admit it, he rather liked the idea of doing things that got him thanks and appreciation instead of a kick up the Khyber.

"Yes. I'll serve that house," he said simply.

"Good. You've made the right choice Morty. Kreacher will come and visit you from time to time, and yes, to make sure you're behaving. Harry and I will try to see you too," she said, noticing Harry take in a breath of surprise as if he was about to complain, but thought better of it.

"Well, that's all sorted, I'll go take him over to Andromeda's now," Harry said, looking forward to having Morty off his hands.

Hermione held out a hand to the elf. "Thank you," she said. It took a few moments, but then Morty took a step forward and shook her hand. He turned and shyly trudged out of the room. Harry made a funny face at her, which was rewarded with one of her scowls, making Harry leave nearly as timidly as Morty.

_Whew, that's sorted out_, she thought. As much as she wanted to help the elf over his transition to a new life, she couldn't offer a place for him herself; there were just too many bad memories associated with him, even though he had turned good in the end.

Feeling a little weary, Hermione put her feet up on the bed and laid back, letting out a large sigh of relief and closed her eyes trying to relax a little.

The door opened quietly and Ginny walked in, she looked over to Hermione and thinking her asleep, turned to creep out again. She had arranged things so that she Apparated to her training every day and was back again by late afternoon or early evening, and slept at the Burrow.

"Gin?" Hermione called to her.

"I thought you were in nodland again?"

"Nope. Just resting my eyes a bit. We solved the problem of Morty the house elf and it kind of wiped me out a bit."

"I'm not surprised. I imagine it wasn't nice to have recent memories walking and talking in front of you," Ginny said knowingly.

"Come and sit with me Ginny," said Hermione, opening her eyes, shuffling over a little and patting the place next to her on the bed. The redhead smiled and went over to her, and sat next to her on the bed.

"So what did you do with the little runt...I mean elf?" Ginny said, deliberately.

"He's going to try setting up home with Andromeda and Teddy," the brunette replied.

"Now, that's a _brave_ woman!"

"Unlike me," Hermione mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" the redhead asked.

"I was trying not to recoil from him," Hermione reluctantly admitted. "It's pathetic, that elf saves my life and he makes me feel like I want to shiver in fear."

"It's totally understandable Hermione. It's early days yet. Besides he was an evil little git most of the time wasn't he? Don't be hard on yourself."

"I know you're right."

"Of course I am," said Ginny wearing an expression of fake superiority. "It's dinner soon, do you feel up to coming downstairs for it tonight?"

"Yeah. I'd like that," Hermione said.

"Great!" Ginny said.

In a short while they made their way down the stairs, with Ginny in front of Hermione, looking back over her shoulder to make sure the brunette was alright.

"Ginny, I'm FINE!" she said, rather exasperated.

"Just making sure," the redhead replied, jovially.

"Besides if I fall, I'll bounce off those wonderfully toned muscles of yours!"

Ginny blushed and nearly fell down the last step of the stairs herself, with Hermione trying hard not to laugh and fall herself.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were surprised to see her downstairs, but were delighted too. The meal was delicious and Hermione ended up feeling totally stuffed. The conversation was on lighter subjects, for which she was grateful.

Ron and Harry were absent. The latter was busy at the Ministry again; large audits of all departments were being undertaken and some of the people involved with Felgate had been rooted out. It meant lots of paperwork. Ron hadn't been around much at all; he was staying with Harry and busy at the Ministry too, and she suspected he was giving her some space, or maybe he couldn't bear to see her the way she was. Either way, she was glad it was just the four of them.

They had talked for a long time, working though several cups of tea each. Everything from Ginny's tales of her training camp and pre-season preparations to the latest gossip Mrs. Weasley had read or heard about various people in the magic world. Apparently Gilderoy Lockhart had managed to escape his ward at St. Mungo's and they had found him hours later somehow riding round and round the Circle Line on a London muggle tube train.

Hermione's body began to feel a bit heavy and ache more, and her eyelids were feeling droopy. Mrs. Weasley had been keeping her beady eye on her charge.

"Right, my girl, I think it should be bed for you. I won't have people sleeping on my table," she said with good humour. "Up you go. I'll be up in a few moments to change your dressings."

Hermione nodded, and wearily pushed herself out of her seat and trudged her way through the house and up to the bedroom. She got her sleep clothes and walked across to the bathroom, deciding she might as well change in there as she needed the loo anyway. It still hurt dreadfully, to try and reach back to undo her bra; pulling on her injured shoulder and pulling at the healing slashes over her arm and body, but she forced herself to do these things, and not give in, and certainly not to give in and use magic for it. She walked back to the bedroom and found Ginny in there.

"I thought I might as well turn in when you did, so I didn't disturb you later," the redhead said. She had already changed too and must have done so when Hermione was in the bathroom.

"You don't have to worry about that Gin."

"I do, so shut up and accept it!" said Ginny amused.

Mrs. Weasley came into the room soon after and went through the now, only twice daily dressing changes. Hermione could tell that her wounds were looking better and better with each day. The deep collarbone cuts were hurting less also. Mrs. Weasley left her the dreamless sleep potion, wished her and her daughter goodnight and left the room.

Ginny made sure Hermione was comfortable, gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead and got into her own bed.

"Night Hermione."

"Goodnight Ginny," the brunette replied.

Hermione felt so content then. The dinner and company she had had was wonderful and she felt safe and warm to her very soul. It was time to sleep without the help of the potion. She would have to leave it off sometime, better sooner rather and later, especially as she felt good this evening.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Not again...no...please no...NOOO"

"Hermione?" a hand rested on her arm.

"Stop...stop...ARGGGGGGGHHHHH!" the brunette shouted. She was wide awake now.

Ginny had been awoken hearing voices, and soon realized it was Hermione talking in her sleep. She soon understood that Hermione was having a nightmare, and wondered how it happened. She waved her wand and let a soft light illuminate the room; she picked up the mug from the bedside table and saw that it was still full. After placing a hand gently on the woman's arm she saw her awaken and sit bolt upright, with utter fear in her eyes, her body shivering.

For a moment Ginny had been sure that Hermione might attack her, not making the transition into the waking world very well. Instead she started crying. Ginny sat on the side of the bed and hugged her, knowing that the woman had been taken back to her recent hell.

"Shhh It's alright. I'm here. You're still here at the Burrow," she rubbed Hermione's back soothingly as she held her.

The door opened and Ginny's mother walked in, wondering what was going on.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't think Hermione took the sleep potion. She had a nightmare. It's alright, I've got her."

Mrs. Weasley rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder and squeezed it, conveying that she understood and would leave her to it. The older woman quietly left the room. After a while Hermione stopped shivering and went still and pulled back from Ginny.

"Sorry," said Hermione sheepishly "I thought I was ready for no potion. Apparently not," she said embarrassed.

Ginny placed her hand under the woman's chin to make her look up at her.

"Would you stop apologizing for everything," she said. "You have nothing to be sorry for OK? I understand why you didn't take the potion, I do. I'd want to go without it as soon as possible too," she smiled at Hermione. "That's why you're here with us. You're safe to do as you please, and we'll be here for you."

Hermione looked back at her and there was such love in her eyes that it made Ginny want to weep. She would gladly have suffered everything herself, if it meant Hermione didn't have to. She leant forward and hugged her again, kissing her cheek. When they pulled back again, Hermione was smiling at her.

However, she totally surprised Ginny when she placed her right hand against Ginny's cheek. She leaned forward and kissed her on the lips; several small, delicate questing pecks and then they connected lips a bit longer; just soft lips moving against soft lips. Hermione couldn't stop a tiny contented moan from escaping her. _Hmm-mm, I want more of this_, she thought.

Ginny knew this wasn't the right time to be doing this, even if she felt it was incredibly sexy. She pulled back, with Hermione still keeping her eyes closed. Ginny couldn't resist leaning forward and stealing another soft peck of her lips.

"I think we should both get back to sleep now," Ginny said, hating how she sounded so parental. "Take the potion this time Hermione. Your body still needs some proper sleep."

"Alright," answered Hermione, as she picked up the mug of potion. "Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"Would you..."

"Would I what?"

"I feel weird asking," Hermione said, shaking her head, and blushing.

"Well ask me and I'll judge if it's weird," said Ginny with a grin.

"Would you just hold me? Sleep in my bed with me, but just hold me?"

Ginny's heart was aching; aching with pain of the hurt Hermione felt and aching with feeling for her.

"Of course, Hermione, " she cupped the brunette's cheek. "I'd do anything for you."

Hermione got hold of Ginny's hand and kissed the palm. She shifted over in the bed as Ginny got in. Without any words or directions or wonderings, Ginny laid on her back and Hermione snuggled up to her side, resting her left arm across the redhead's waist and resting her head on Ginny's shoulder and chest, as Ginny curled an arm around Hermione's back and lightly placed her other hand over the hand resting around her waist.

It felt so right. They fit each other perfectly. Hermione was soon asleep, the potion taking fast effect, and Ginny was left for a few minutes, basking in feeling so close to the woman she _knew_ she loved.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Thanks again everyone! **

**As one of the reviewers noticed I sometimes use humour in the middle of something serious. It actually kind of writes itself and I don't do it too deliberately, it just happens. I'm an avid fan of military history and have read numerous real extracts from ordinary people's experiences, anytime from the Wars of the Roses in the 15th Century to a soldier in WW1, in the darkest most horrendous moments, even when facing death, humour and strange jokes often appear. It's a very natural thing. :)**

**This update is ****Chapters 16, 17 & 18****. **

**We're getting into some sticky deep things now. Unlike the movie world, I don't believe someone can be almost mortally wounded one minute and jumping around like a bunny the next. There are always repercussions. **

**WARNING****: Adult content. **

**This particular 3-chapter arc I refer to as "Unseen Scars of Consequence"**

16

Hermione was aware that it was light again and slowly opened her eyes, feeling very rested. It was then she remembered that Ginny had been in the same bed as herself. She had awoken to find that her head was resting on Ginny's breast, her left arm was no longer resting across the redhead's waist, but curled right around hugging her and her left leg had found its way across Ginny's lower half too. _Oh my, Hermione, you _have _been rather forward_, she thought to herself.

Ginny had sensed Hermione waking and stirred herself; she looked like she too had momentarily forgotten where she was and with whom. She didn't make any move to get up or slide out from Hermione's grip, so she wasn't bothered by the way she had found herself this morning.

"Morning," said Ginny

Hermione looked up at her bed companion and grinned like a cat that had got the cream _and _the strawberries, unable to stop a flush of delight reaching her cheeks.

"What?" Ginny asked, highly entertained.

"Nothing really," Hermione answered. "Just that, I could get used to this," she stretched a little then hugged on to Ginny a little tighter, causing the redhead to snort.

"So could I," Ginny said, gently hugging her back. "Did you sleep OK?"

"Much better once...well...once you were in my bed."

"Glad I could help. Any time!" Ginny laughed.

Hermione went still and silent for a time, relishing in the feel of Ginny's warm body so close to hers. She moved herself back a little and shifted herself up the bed slightly, so she could be face to face with Ginny.

"Thanks for last night. I was being an idiot," Hermione said ashamed for the minor drama of having a nightmare.

Ginny rested the palm of her hand against Hermione's cheek before sliding it through the brunette's hair.

"Stop putting yourself down. You weren't being an idiot."

"Still, it's hard for someone like me to be reduced to a cowering wreck, jumping at shadows," Hermione said glumly.

"It's hard for me to be this stunningly sexy, but I manage!" Ginny said, reducing Hermione to laughter. She cupped the brunette's cheek again.

"Seriously Hermione, you're an amazing woman. Most people would never have made it out of that place alive let alone manage to talk round a skanky old elf in the process. Don't be so hard on yourself. Let time take its course. No one will rush you."

Hermione lifted her hand to cover the one Ginny was using to cup her cheek. She leaned over and pressed her lips to the redhead's. She put her hand to Ginny's face and slowly slid it down the side of her neck and rested it on her shoulder. Ginny's tongue entered her mouth and entwined with her own, as the red-haired woman ran her hand through Hermione's hair again, working her other hand around to Hermione's lower back, caressing the contours of it. The brunette pulled out from the kiss a little and tenderly nibbled on Ginny's lower lip, before resuming the deeper kiss again. Hermione's hand was now resting flat on the top of Ginny's chest, gently bracing herself, and as they continued to kiss she slid the hand lower to cover Ginny's breast through her T'Shirt. She couldn't help herself as she moved it slightly to hold that breast, feeling the nipple hardening under the material. Ginny gave a small moan into her mouth as they continued to kiss passionately.

"GINNY? ARE YOU UP YET?" Mrs. Weasley was shouting, as footsteps were heard on the stairs.

Hermione and Ginny broke apart quicker than opposing magnets, both flushed in the face and breathing more deeply from their passionate embrace.

"Bloody mothers!" whispered Ginny frustrated.

Hermione put her hand to her mouth both in astonishment from how close they were to getting caught and also to remember Ginny's gorgeous lips on her own just seconds before.

Ginny had nearly jumped out of Hermione's bed and got back to her own in one fluid movement; immediately making a start of getting her clothes ready for the day. Neither woman had realized it was gone 9.30am; Ginny had to be at training by 10am.

There was a light tap on the bedroom door and Mrs. Weasley appeared with a cup of tea.

"Aren't you ready yet Ginny? You're supposed to be a professional!" her mother was lecturing her as she set the cup of tea on Hermione's bedside table.

"Yes Mother! It's only going to take seconds to get there; honestly, you'd think I had to walk there?" Ginny rolled her eyes at her mother. Her mother seemed to ignore that statement and moved her attention to the other bed.

"How are you feeling this morning, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"OK. I'm sorry about disturbing everyone last night," said Hermione, taking a sip of her tea.

"Don't be silly, dear," the older woman said.

"I keep telling her not to apologize all the time," Ginny said.

"So, did you and Ginny get off OK?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

_"Pffftt_," Hermione coughed on her mouthful of tea. _I see this hasn't changed, people making me cough on food or drink at inopportune moments_.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked concerned.

"Fine, just tried to cough and swallow at the same time," Hermione brushed off. "Yes, we got off to sleep again, I slept fine after I took the potion," she continued, aware that Ginny was trying hard not to crack up laughing and tried to avoid looking at her.

_Ginny and I would have 'got off' even better, had you not come upstairs for a while Mrs. Weasley_, Hermione thought cheekily.

Ginny quickly made her way to the bathroom and was back again in ten minutes all ready for her day, by which time Mrs. Weasley had gone again.

"I'll see you this afternoon, Herm," Ginny said, swinging her bag over a shoulder.

Hermione made her way out of bed, walked over to Ginny, put her arms around her neck and kissed her firmly on the lips. "Have a great day."

"Oooh, I will now!" Ginny said, wrapping her arms around Hermione's waist. "Sorry about my mother. I would have liked to spend more _quality _time with you this morning."

"Another time, yeah?" said Hermione sweetly.

"Absolutely!" Ginny said, as she placed one more brief kiss on Hermione's lips and walked out of the room.

Hermione let out a big sighing "Whew!" and sat back on her bed.

Her body was alive with emotion after their wake-up acitivities; she was feeling very warm and tingly between her legs. After finishing her cup of tea she decided to make her way over to the bathroom for a wash and get ready for the day. Hermione would be glad when she could take showers again and not have to worry about getting her dressings wet and have them falling off.

As she was about to dress again she felt itching under the dressing on her stomach and the small dressing over one of her collarbone wounds was itching a little too. Hermione lowered a hand to make sure the abdomen dressing was still attached and hadn't come loose to cause the itching, and in doing so she had brushed her own breast and nipple. Her body must still have been aroused, because it made her give a sharp intake of breath. She raised her hands to cup both of her breasts and her nipples hardened under her own touch. She was feeling highly aroused now. Feeling a little guilty and deviant she lowered a hand between her legs and cupped her mound, sliding a finger in between her folds.

_Flipping heck, I'm wet!_ she thought. _You have a lot to answer for Ginny Weasley! _

The logical part of Hermione, rather than the sexed up horny part of her said, that perhaps some of it was the tension of the past days. She didn't think it would take her long to reach climax and began to long for that lifting release when it came.

After a few seconds thought she lowered the seat cover on the toilet and sat on the loo and leant back. Hermione lowered her right hand between her legs again and slid her middle finger over her most sensitve and intimate place, sighing from the contact. Her other hand cupped her breast and teased at her nipple. She was thinking of Ginny the whole time; Ginny rubbing her clit, Ginny kissing and sucking her nipple, even the thought of Ginny watching her doing this to herself was glorious. Her breathing got heavier and shallower and she felt the pressure begin to build in her core. It had been a long while since she had felt like this and she was relishing the feeling of what she was doing to herself.

Hermione could feel she was closer to release now and sped up her hand movements. Several moments passed as she was panting, sweat starting to bead on her forehead and between her breasts and still she was waiting to release. _Any moment now, oh Ginny I want you_, she was thinking...

And then there was Felgate, laughing at her, twiddling his knife and looking at her, exactly how he had done that last day.

Her eyes flew open and she settled herself for a few moments, breathing hard; thinking it was just her mind not working properly; she allowed herself to go totally still and quiet, getting her breathing under control; she thought the whole episode had passed, and resumed her quest for a climax. No release came, but Felgate was there again, sneering at her.

Hermione had to stop, she was tired and completely baffled as to why she hadn't reached her goal, but had had to face that man again. Her groin and insides ached for release, but it just didn't happen. She was upset with herself, for even opting to masturbate at all, thinking she was probably too weak, tired or maybe even that sleeping potion had affected her? She had been thinking so positively about Ginny, so why had that bastard invaded her thoughts and visions?

_It's Ginny I want, only Ginny, I was only thinking of her_, she thought distressed, _how_ _can he do this to me? He's dead?_

A vexed and tired Hermione, wiped a tear of frustration from her eye, finished washing up and dressed for the day. She went downstairs to get some late breakfast.

"You're looking very pale Hermione, do you feel unwell?" Mrs. Weasley asked, meeting her in the kitchen, putting and arm around her and leading her to a chair.

"Not really, just a little tired I think," Hermione said, trying hard not to think about what she had been doing this morning, with _and_ without Ginny. "A couple of my wounds seem to be itching a lot though."

"I'll take a look after you've had some breakfast, dear," the older woman said, while placing a bowl of cereal and a plate of toast in front of her.

XXXXXXXXXX

After Hermione finished breakfast she went back upstairs and idly flicked through some books. Not long after, Mrs. Weasley came upstairs, with a couple of potion bottles and some clean dressings in case they were needed.

Hermione removed her T'Shirt, she had had to do this so often, that she was no longer embarrassed in front of the older witch, and she sat on her bed. Mrs. Weasley sat on a chair in front of her.

"OK dear, let's look at those tummy wounds first," said Mrs. Weasley as she carefully removed the small square dressing.

"Ah ha, I see," the older woman said. "I think another couple of days and we won't need that dressing there anymore, dear. You've healed there really well, another couple of weeks and you won't see that anything was there at all," she smiled.

Hermione looked down and saw that she didn't even have proper scabs on the slash wounds now. Her bruising was just a faint greeny-yellow and almost gone as well.

The older woman sprinkled a few drops of one of the potions onto a much smaller clean dressing and fixed it in place over the brunette's abdomen.

"That should help the itching. It means you're healing well though," she said as she lightly patted the dressing in place.

Mrs. Weasley then removed the dressings on the collarbone wounds. One was nearly healed up and had about the same progress as her stomach. The other one wasn't so good.

"That's a bit disappointing. This side doesn't seem to be knitting well at all," the woman thought for a moment. "I hate to ask, but did he use magic when he...when he did any of these wounds?"

The younger woman blinked and as Mrs. Weasley asked the question while she was inspecting the wound, Hermione was immediately taken back to that dark cavernous room. She flinched quite dramatically, and screwed her eyes up tight, trying in some way to stop seeing the memories in her mind.

Mrs. Weasley gently held her shoulders, looking up into her face.

"You're remembering something aren't you, dear? I'm sorry if I caused that. It's just the more I know about how a wound was done, the easier I can treat it."

Hermione nodded; she knew that, she just didn't like remembering or thinking of voicing those memories.

"He didn't use magic on me," she swallowed. "That was the first cut he gave me, but it was also the one he...it was the one he liked to open up again and again."

Mrs. Weasley, was shocked, and she was angry as hell and stunned. She leaned forward and hugged the young woman in front of her.

"My poor girl," she said, pulling back and gently holding her shoulders again.

"Anyway, now I know that, I can help it heal a bit better," Mrs. Weasley said.

She picked up one of the potion bottles, dabbing some onto a clean dressing and then using some more potion from a second bottle, and with her wand she summoned a third potion bottle from somewhere else in the house and used some of that on the dressing too.

Next she looked at Hermione's injured left shoulder. The joint was much better and only felt a little stiff and achey, but the wound was still a little weepy.

Before the older woman even summoned up courage to find a way to ask about the origins of this one Hermione got there first.

"He stuck his knife in there...and left it there," Hermione spoke in a vague kind of distant voice, which was actually quite chilling because it was so even and calm. "When he finally took the knife out again, he twisted the blade first."

Mrs. Weasley, the stoic battling mother, was looking sick. She was furious at Felgate, furious at the Ministry for allowing his escape and full of amazement and pity when looking upon the woman in front of her.

"Death was too good for that bastard!"

Hermione didn't say anything in reply but just looked ahead blankly. One of her arm wounds had healed enough to leave the bandage off, but unsurprisingly Felgate's mark, an attempt to obliterate Bellatrix's mark wasn't healing that well at all.

"I expect that has something to do with his obsession to mark me and wipe out any sign of Bellatrix," Hermione said calmly.

"Yes. I think it might be the case. Although he didn't use magic, it was a very emotionally strong thing when it was done. Probably a Death Eater v Death Eater thing too. But don't worry, we'll get it to heal eventually," said Mrs. Weasley trying to sound cheerful. "Well, it's been mostly progress, so I'm very pleased with you."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Thank you for caring for me. I'm not sure what I would have done."

"Think nothing of it, sweetheart. You always have a home with us."

The older woman stood up, and bent over, kissing the top of Hermione's head; she gave her a warm expression and left the room.

_Not sure you'll say that when you realize I love your daughter, and she's feeling something back for me_, Hermione thought.

She was feeling a bit distressed and wound up again, after telling Mrs. Weasley about her wounds and how they had happened, and she oddly still felt an ache of unrelieved tension from earlier, between her legs. Feeling a bit annoyed with herself and actually a little disgusted, she went across to the bathroom again, knowing a locked door there wouldn't be questioned. Having thought through what happened earlier she worked on focusing her mind more to only Ginny, closing her eyes and thinking of the most sexual fantasy she could involving the beautiful redhead.

Sitting on the lidded loo as before, her questing, slightly shaking fingers found their way between her legs again, and set to work. Her hips began to move and her breathing quickened. She was nearly there, her fingers sliding over her aching clit. But yet again, she found her climax wouldn't come...literally. Instead she felt the weight of Felgate's body over her alarmingly. Then she felt something enter her. Hermione gasped in total shock and nearly fell off the toilet, completely stunned.

_How? It felt...felt like..._ she thought in utter despair. It was the exact feeling of the moment Felgate raped her. She felt sick and anxious, and very confused.

_Maybe I _am_ just tired and not healthy enough yet?_ she tried to think logically again. _Perhaps that sleeping potion _has _messed with my thought processes more than I know? Maybe I was too desperate for release and got anxious and that brought on the physical memory?_

Hermione resigned herself to not think about it too much, because it wasn't helping her and she didn't know the exact question she was posing herself, in order to find the answer. It was hardly something she could talk to anyone about, and certainly not to Mrs. Weasley either. Shaking her head, she tidied herself up and left the bathroom.


	17. Chapter 17

17

The day had gone quite slowly. In the afternoon Hermione had sat outside watching wildlife and the occasional grumpy gnome coming and going from the Burrow's garden. Her thoughts moved to the First Year children in their first weeks at Hogwarts and how excited she herself had been about the place and the magic world. She found herself trying to remember the order in which she learned new spells, more as a memory workout than anything else. A few times she found herself smiling, remembering a particular lesson, but she would also feel sad when she remembered those school mates whom didn't survive the War.

"What are you thinking about?"

Hermione turned her head to the source of the voice, and smiled warmly when she saw it was Ginny.

"Nothing much, just thinking about all those First Years at Hogwarts. How was training?" she asked.

"Alright. A little boring. I can't wait for the first match this weekend," the redhead said enthusiastically. "The Chudley Cannons won't know what's hit them!"

"I wish I could come to watch, but I don't think your mum would let me yet," Hermione said disappointed, then she thought about the time. "I didn't know it was getting that late? I've been out here longer than I thought. Or have you got home earlier?"

"I got home the same time as always, and Mum held me up before I came to find you," Ginny said taking a seat next to the brunette. "I hope you don't mind Hermione, but Mum told me some things. Things you told her this morning?"

Hermione turned to look at Ginny with an eyebrow raised, not really showing what she was feeling about that.

"Don't be angry with her, I think she needed to get it out...she's cares about you a lot, you know, and it won't go any further than me."

"I'm not angry with her. In fact I'm sorry I had to tell her at all. I didn't want you to know _all_ the horrid details," Hermione said,looking down and idly inspecting a fingernail on her right hand.

Ginny grabbed hold of Hermiones hands so that she had to look at the redhead.

"Don't you trust Mum, or me?"

"It's not that, Ginny."

"Then why did you feel you couldn't tell us?"

Hermione was quiet although she hadn't lowered her gaze and kept eye contact with Ginny, trying to gain some strength from her.

"I didn't want to tell _anyone_," Hermione could see that Ginny was about to protest again, but carried on. "Because telling someone would mean I'd have to live through it all once more, which I kind of did this morning. It makes it too real, and that man takes a piece of me again, however small. That's why I didn't want to tell anyone _every_ sordid detail."

"I'm sorry Hermione," said Ginny holding the brunette's hands reverently. "Bugger, it's all we've been saying lately isn't it? 'Sorry'. Let's ban that word!" she chuckled.

The two women smiled at each other and got up to walk back to the house for dinner.

XXXXXXXXXX

That night Hermione was unsure whether she should ask Ginny to sleep in the same bed with her again. After all, she wasn't upset this time, and was going to take the sleeping potion, but she really wanted to feel that warm body next her and feel close to the woman she had loved for so long.

It looked like Ginny might have been having the same inner battle of wondering what to do or how to approach it. She looked like she was taking time to make her bed extra comfortable, straightening sheets, brushing off any fluff and moving her pillows around a lot. Hermione had already got into her bed.

"Ginny?"

"Yup?"

"Would you...um...like to sleep next to me again?" the brunette asked in a timid voice. "I'll understand if you don't want to...it can't be as comfortable as your own bed with the lack of space...and I know it was a near thing to getting caught by your mum...I just..."

"Hermione, stop babbling woman...of course I'd like to do that again," the redhead chuckled, and made her way over to the other bed. She slid in next to Hermione and they both lay on their sides and faced each other.

"Perhaps we should set an alarm for the morning, so your mum doesn't get wind of anything?" suggested Hermione.

"We'll put a locking charm on the door."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Good grief! That's just advertising that something odd is going on in here!"

"Not really. If she happens to find it locked, then we can just say you felt a little tense and felt safer with the door locked," Ginny said.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Hermione smiled, she rolled over and reached for her wand, waved it at the door to create a locking charm, and thought for a second before adding a silencing charm for good measure; once satisfied with it, she rolled back to face Ginny. "Done!" she said.

"Do I get a goodnight treat?" asked Ginny with a twinkle in her eye.

Hermione leaned in and joined her lips to the redhead's, placing arms around each other, enjoying a very sweet tender moment. After a couple of minutes they reluctantly parted, both breathing more shallow.

"I think we ought to sleep now Gin. I don't want to make you late for training tomorrow."

"Yes _Mum_!" Ginny said smirking. She leaned in for one more little kiss before she and Hermione moved a little to get comfortable; Hermione drank her sleeping potion and the pair settled for the night.

Hermione was glad of the sleeping potion, she feared she might have kissed Ginny for a lot longer and got herself all worked up, and she didn't really have the energy for more activity.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, both women awoke at a decent time and Ginny didn't have to rely on her mother's wake-up call. They removed the charms on the door, which luckily hadn't been needed or discovered.

Ginny was all ready to go and she went to sit next to Hermione on the bed, to give her a goodbye kiss. After moments of their lips and tongues connecting, it soon got very passionate. They were holding each other tightly, feeling each other's breasts pressed against themselves, even through clothing it was extremely sensual. Both women had a sense of wanting more as lips tenderly found jaws and necks, but Ginny was the one to reluctantly slow things down. She broke their kiss, gently tugging on Hermione's bottom lip as she pulled back.

"I have to go. I wish I didn't, but I don't want to lose my place on the team," said Ginny regretfully. "I'll see you later."

They shared one more gentle kiss, before Ginny broke away again, got her bag and left the room.

After Ginny had left, Hermione found herself feeling all tingly and on edge again, which she recognized as a definite twinge of arousal. She got her clothes together for the day and went across the landing to the bathroom, such was her routine.

She couldn't resist touching herself again. _You horny tramp_, she thought to herself.

Taking her time she found her body responding to her own touch. Nearly reaching the edge again, so close, she was reaching the very edge of that precipice, and then she heard Felgate laughing and felt him pressing his body against her and the more she tried to push him away the more he laughed and pressed against her.

Hermione stopped her questing fingers; once more she could feel her body aching to release but she just couldn't go over the edge. It felt like she was hitting a solid concrete wall. She was incredibly frustrated again, and wondered how on earth she would ever get past that man. She actually felt like crying, because she needed a climax so badly and also because she was concerned over why it wasn't happening for her.

_What the hell is going on?_ she thought dejectedly. Thinking again that it might be related to her energy levels or other things she had thought of before she decided not to try again for a day or two, however much her body was sending signals to her otherwise.

Hermione got dressed resignedly and left the bathroom, thinking about what she could do for the rest of the day.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was the middle of the afternoon and Hermione was having a cup of tea with Mrs. Weasley when a long-eared owl flew in through the kitchen window and landed on the table in front of them.

Mrs. Weasley untied the letter from its leg, she knew the writer of the letter before looking at the handwriting, as the owl had a small green ring on each leg with a gold double 'h' and a talon. It had come from the Holyhead Harpies' office.

"It's from Ginny. No doubt she's forgotten something, or lost something," the older woman said, while unfolding the letter.

"What's she say?" Hermione asked curiously after a short while.

"Typical Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley tsked. "She says she won't be home until Sunday night now and it had completely slipped her mind. She said the coach this season likes the team to spend a night before a match together, and then they'll have a team meeting on Sunday, and the coach wants them to all be together for team spirit on match weekends. Why they can't have the meeting after the match on the Saturday I don't know?"

Hermione felt down. She missed Ginny, no matter how long she was away during the day, but the past couple of nights she had been her rock; she felt safe sleeping next to her, in her embrace. W_hat will I do tonight and the night after?_

"You OK, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley asked her. "You look like you lost a galleon and found a knut?"

"It's silly really," Hermione blushed a little. "I'll miss her." _What have I said? Great Hermione, why not tell her you'll miss resting your head on her daughter's boob too? _

_No, actually it wasn't that odd what I said and sounds quite normal_, Hermione thought, adding a mental _phew_ at the end.

"I understand, dear. Would you like me to sleep in Ginny's room with you? I was with you until you, well, until you came back to us before, it wouldn't be a bother?" the older woman asked kindly.

Hermione thought seriously about it for a few moments. "No, no, I think I'll be OK. I've got to sleep by myself eventually."

"I wouldn't mind Hermione," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"I'll have the potion, so I probably won't know much anyway," replied Hermione.

"If you're sure dear. I'm only a shout away, if you need me?"

Hermione went for a walk around the garden and sat down to watch some of the life in it, both wild and magical, that frequented the Burrow's grounds. She then had dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, hearing some of the news at the Ministry. Apparently eight Ministry workers, including a couple who were previously employed at the Ministry and hadn't been for a while, had been arrested for their part in Felgate's escape, and the process of gathering evidence to make court cases had begun.

Surprisingly the time didn't drag as much as she thought it would and it soon reached a time she felt happy to turn in for the night.

Mrs. Weasley came up with her to look at her dressings. In just over one day, she was now able to leave off the abdomen dressing and the second collarbone wound. It was definite progress, and it helped to lighten Hermione's mood a little.

Fussing in the way mothers do, Mrs. Weasley tucked Hermione into her bed and made sure she drank the sleeping potion. _I'm in my early twenties and getting tucked in? _Hermione laughed in her own head. She was grateful for the kindness, all the same.

"Remember dear, if you need anything, just shout," the older woman said as she left the room.

Hermione gloomily looked over to Ginny's empty bed. She rolled onto her side, hugging herself, imagining that it was Ginny hugging her. She wondered what the redhead was doing at that moment, and if she missed her as much.

An odd thought occurred to her about what Ginny had told her, about how she wasn't blind to attractive women. Hermione truly hoped Ginny _was_ blind to her athletic teammates tonight.

_Oo-er, you're jealous! Oh shut up!, _she battled with herself. Before she had long to consider anything too much, the potion kicked in and she dropped off into a dreamless sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Morning arrived and it appeared to Hermione that she hadn't moved at all during the night. She must have slept solid the whole night. It was a relief, as it was less time to miss Ginny and no time for any fearful thoughts to upset her.

She looked over to Ginny's empty bed again wistfully, but put her thoughts into how the quidditch match would go today. As advanced as the magical world was, she rued the fact that the magical world didn't have television, and certainly no televised quidditch matches. She would have to listen in to the Wizarding radio stations for news and results from the matches.

Hermione had never been a huge quidditch fan, although she always watched the matches at Hogwarts to cheer on Harry and the Weasley's. However, she had invested interest in quidditch again now...well in _one_ player, anyway.

Mr. Weasley was going to the actual match, and Ron, George, Bill and unusually, Percy were going too. Hermione felt guilty that Mrs. Weasley wasn't going because she insisted on staying home with Hermione.

"I'd be alright it you want to go?" Hermione told her for about the third time.

"No. I won't leave you to rattle around this house by yourself, even if it's only for a few hours."

Hermione was about to open her mouth to protest again but Mrs. Weasley cut her off again.

"That's my final word on it," she pointed a finger at the younger woman. "I thought it would be nice to listen to the radio together. Have a girl's afternoon."

Hermione wanted to snort with laughter. _A girl's afternoon with Mrs. Weasley_? She thought it had been a long while since Mrs. Weasley had been classed as a _girl_. She was going to _have_ to tell Ginny about this, she knew it would give her a giggling fit.

Ron, George, Bill and Percy arrived just after lunch. George and Bill gave Hermione a warm hug, so pleased to see she was doing as well as she was. Ron kind of awkwardly patted her shoulder, thankfully the good one, and squeezed it lightly then patted it again. Percy shook her hand. No surprise about that, aside from the fact that had Percy actually hugged her, she would have wanted Ron and some of his auror friends to check for an imposter.

Hermione had wondered if Fleur would come along, then at least she would have one more person to share their _girls_ _afternoon_, knowing that Fleur wasn't the biggest quidditch fan herself.

"What's Fleur doing today?" Hermione asked Bill.

"She had a shocking week at the bank. The Ministry have been wanting all kinds of files and information to do with their investigations. So she's having a quiet day to herself," he said. "She sends her love, and says she'll try to come and see you soon."

"Oh, that's OK Bill."

"She feels bad that she hasn't come to see you. She was here the day after you...well, after you arrived back here and has been worried about you. But those blasted Gringott's goblins are your original slave-drivers. They hardly ever let her have any time off," Bill said, genuinely apologetic.

"Tell her not to worry. I'll be glad to see her when the time comes."

Thankfully Mrs. Weasley had been too preoccupied with her family clan and making sure she had packed up enough snacks for everyone in the wicker picnic basket, which she handed to her husband, that the woman hadn't had time to overhear that Fleur was tired from work; if she had, she would have immediately started grilling Bill about his wife's health and doing her hinting tactics about babies and pregnancy again. If Hermione's ordeal had shaken up the way Mrs. Weasley thought about her family, maybe she wouldn't be so militant over getting Bill and Fleur to breed. It was a hope.

The Weasley's left in an almost mass exodus from the Burrow, leaving Hermione and Mrs. Weasley waving at the kitchen door. It gave Hermione some idea of what parents went through on seeing off their children on the Hogwarts Express. Although she suspected that Mrs. Weasley would be making up packed lunches or snacks for her family for as long as she could breathe air. That made her feel sad about her own parents. They had never been completely hands-on like the Weasley's, but they were still her parents. She soon tried to push those thoughts away again.

Nearly an hour later Hermione found herself in the living room seated one side of the large radio, with Mrs. Weasley seated the other side. Like everything in the Burrow, the radio was quirky and needed to be hit on the top twice, picked up and shaken, then tapped once with a wand to get it working.

As it came to life, Mrs. Weasley went off to the kitchen and came back with two large mugs of tea and some fancy cakes. She had obviously made them specially.

It wasn't the most exciting afternoon Hermione had ever had, seated listening to the crackling radio reception for any reports on Ginny's match, with her mug of tea receiving multiple fill-ups and the plate of cakes nearby never seeming to get smaller. It seemed Ginny's match was a long one, and tactical for the score and snitch-catching, meaning Hermione had to make several loo breaks after drinking all that tea.

Ginny was a valuable player to any quidditch team, as she was nearly as good a seeker as she was a chaser. It was her chaser skills that were required today and she seemed to be having a good day.

It was over three hours before finally, the Harpies' seeker caught the snitch and won the game. Even Hermione knew that they should have won easier against the Cannons, but nevermind, her woman had won and she would be coming home tomorrow night.

Hermione had almost begun to start counting the hours down, then caught herself thinking it and promptly stopped thinking about it. _It won't make the time go any faster!_

About an hour after the match had finished the Weasley's arrived back at the Burrow. All were in high spirits and talking over each other about some of the moves Ginny had done during the match. It made Hermione wish all the more that she could have gone to watch her.

Ron had been a little split down the middle; he wanted his sister to play well, but he was a long suffering fan of the Chudley Cannons. He would probably have preferred for his sister to have had a great game but the Cannons had won. _Hard cheese Ronald_, Hermione thought just a bit smugly.

Only Ron stayed for some dinner; Bill wanted to get home to Fleur, and George was forever busy at the shop. As for Percy, he wasn't ever one to stop for long at the Burrow, to everyone's, apart from Mrs. Weasley's, relief.

"So how ya doing, Hermione?" Ron asked shyly after the dinner plates had been taken away.

"I'm good. Not a hundred percent, but better than I was," she replied, honestly.

"I'm pleased Herm," he looked down at his hands as he fiddled with a large crumb on the table left from the meal. "I promise you, we're going to nail every one of those buggers involved in any way with Death Eaters and that bastard Felgate," he said fiercely.

"I know you will. But there are always going to be people trying to get in under our radar and use loopholes. You can never know what everyone is truly thinking or plotting all the time," she said evenly.

"We'll do our best!" Ron said with conviction.

Hermione smiled at him; when Ron had his mind set to something with this much passion or conviction he was deadly serious. _Hmm, just like that blooming marriage proposal_, she thought.

"Have you heard any news about Morty?" Hermione asked.

"That manky house elf? Yes, I have." Ron started to chuckled. "Apparently, according to Harry, he is absolutely smitten with Teddy!"

"Really?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.

"He's all protective over him. It seems that not only has Andromeda got herself a reasonable house elf, she's also got a potential baby-sitter too. _If_ he keeps behaving himself and proves he's no longer a pureblood-loving Death Eater's evil lackey."

It was then Hermione realized that Harry hadn't been mentioned today in relation to the quidditch match. Her brain certainly wasn't functioning on all levels again yet.

"Was Harry at the match?" she asked.

"No. He said he had lots of files to read through over the weekend. But I think he just felt awkward about the whole thing. I mean I have paperwork too, but I still found time for the match," Ron shook his head slightly. "Oh well, his loss. He'll come around eventually."

Hermione felt a little self-conscious about Harry's awkward predicament, but carried on with other topics including the state of Grimmauld Place and whether Harry had finally got rid of some of the creepier artefacts in the house.

All too soon Hermione was feeling drowsy again and decided to turn in for the night, she rose from the table and said where she was going.

"I'll be up in a little while Hermione," said Mrs. Weasley. "Will you be alright again tonight? My offer still stands."

"I'll be OK. Once I take that potion I'll be so deeply asleep I won't know I'm alone in the room," she said, a lot braver than she actually felt about the situation. She turned to walk through the house to the stairs.

"I'll sleep with you, Hermione," said Ron.

Hermione spun around, her mouth agape, unsure what to say, but she didn't have to worry as his mother got there first.

"RONALD WEASLEY! This is neither the time nor the place! I can't believe you sometimes?" she said fuming and flapped the damp tea towel she had been holding at his head, painfully stinging his ear.

"Gods woman! I only meant I'd be in the room with her if she wanted. I didn't mean _sleep_ sleep with her," he quickly added, hands up ready to deflect either verbal or further tea towel attacks.

Hermione could see that he was being genuine. He meant nothing more than being a friend if she needed someone, despite how suggestive the offer came out.

She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks Ron. I'll be alright, but thank you." She turned again and went up the stairs.

Once in the bedroom and ready for bed, Hermione went through the now familiar routine, with Mrs. Weasley coming to check on her dressings. She only had three persistant wounds now. The first cut to her clavicle, the cuts through Bellatrix's mark on her left arm, and although the joint was nearly healed, the wound on the front of her left shoulder was still stubborn to heal fully.

As Mrs. Weasley kept encouragingly saying, she was getting there gradually, but had to be patient.

She drank her sleeping draught and settled down, Mrs. Weasley insisting on tucking her in again.

Hermione wished again that she could have seen Ginny play today. She briefly had a little image in her mind of waiting for Ginny back in the changing rooms and stripping her sweaty body of her kit. _Argh, Hermione go to sleep! _she thought to herself as her eyelids began to close. _Hmm Ginny will be back tomorrow night..._


	18. Chapter 18

18

_Tick tock, tick tock._

The clocks inside the Burrow all said the same time, no matter how hard Hermione concentrated on them to move faster. She felt like she had got ants in her pants; this wasn't like her, she was patient and logical, but when it came to seeing Ginny for the first time since the Friday morning it obviously didn't apply.

Mr. Weasley was in his shed, like most Sundays, Ron had gone back to Grimmauld Place after lunch and Mrs. Weasley was doing her usual odd jobs around the kitchen and house.

Hermione went for walk, a bit further than the garden, as she was feeling a bit stronger, just as far as the area they had picnics and played quidditch. There were always a couple of comfy chairs there, so she plonked herself in one of them and ended up looking to the skies and clouds, trying to make pictures out of them as she used to when younger.

"Well, what do we have here?" a harsh familiar voice said. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself. How did you escape me? Hmm? I think I need to teach you a lesson, mudblood."

Hermione saw the knife, that shimmering blade, forever imprinted on her mind. She felt it pierce the skin of her left shoulder and then her stocky attacker slid it across her flesh, prising open that first deep wound again.

"NOOOOOOO!" she screamed.

"Hermione? Hermione, my love? Wake up? You're dreaming," a hand was gently touching her shoulder. It was Mrs. Weasley, her faced wracked with concern.

The brunette awoke with a start. _Gods! It was a dream! It was a dream, it was a dream! _she thought, although she must have been muttering it out loud.

"Yes Hermione, you were dreaming. You're safe," said the older woman, crouched down beside her, gently holding her hands.

Hermione's face was drenched in sweat and two of her stubborn wounds felt very sore.

"You'd been gone a while, so I came to look for you as it's not long to dinner. I found you here, asleep, but thrashing around, obviously having a nightmare." She brushed some of Hermione's hair off her sweaty forehead.

"I can guess what it was about. Do you want to talk about it?" asked Mrs. Weasley quietly.

"Will I ever be rid of him?" Hermione asked. "Will I have to take a damn potion in case I doze off now?" she was angry with herself. "That blasted knife of his. It felt just like he'd cut me again. Why am I feeling him as well as hearing him?" she was pale with a mixture of anger, fear and pain from the dream.

"I can't answer those things completely, dear. I think unfortunately you will always be left with what happened to you, just the same as with Bellatrix. But you'll learn to live with it, and recognize it as just your mind telling you what you've been through. You'll learn to almost wear it and draw strength from it. But, it will take time, dear. Give yourself time," Mrs. Weasley rose up and placed a kiss on top of Hermione's head.

"Now, come and have some dinner, you'll feel a bit better with some food inside you."

Hermione made to get up and stopped suddenly grimacing. Mrs. Weasley looked at her.

"Are you hurting somewhere?" the older woman asked.

"I dreamt he...he cut me open again. I don't understand why I hurt so much now I'm awake?"

"Sit back down, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. She pulled out her wand and did a cloaking spell for some privacy. "Arthur's the only other one around but just in case, eh?"

Hermione lifted her T'Shirt and to their concern blood had seeped through both the shoulder and collarbone dressings. The wounds hadn't truly bled fresh for days, only weeped slightly. She had utter fear in her eyes.

"Hmm," Mrs. Weasley said. "Let's get you back to the house and have a proper look, OK?"

With Hermione in a bit of a state Mrs. Weasley held her hand and Side-Along Apparated them the short distance to Ginny's bedroom.

Mrs. Weasley removed the two dressings and examined each wound closely, hovering her wand over them to delve for any magical connection.

"How can he do this in my dreams? He's dead? It's not possible?" Hermione began to babble.

"He didn't do this, love. I think you opened them up when you were lashing out in the dream. It's easily done," the older woman smiled at her confidently. "There's no sign of any other event happening here."

Hermione let out a huge sigh of relief, then she was annoyed at herself.

"Great! Now it will be even longer to get those damn things to heal?" she muttered.

"Not necessarily, dear. It was essentially you who did the damage this time, so with a little dittany and some of my other potions it should heal right back to how it was before this afternoon."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. I'm nothing but bother for you to deal with," Hermione said in a quiet, depressed voice.

"Don't be silly, dear. I've loved having you here with us. I'm pleased we can help you," said Mrs. Weasley beaming at her.

Mrs. Weasley applied her mixture of potions and although it stung and caused Hermione to gasp and groan, she saw the results before her very eyes. The wounds did indeed feel like they had this morning. The older woman applied some fresh dressings and then they both went down to dinner.

Ginny hadn't arrived home yet; Hermione had hoped she'd arrive before dinner, but it looked like she would be later.

After eating dinner, Hermione felt extremely tired and drowsy.

"I think I'm going to have to lie down, maybe even get to sleep," Hermione said, half-yawning.

"The healing potions I used on you today, can make you tired. They quicken the healing process but do take quite a bit of energy," Mrs. Weasley replied.

"I don't want to sleep yet though, I'll miss Ginny getting back," said Hermione, horrified that she might not see the woman she had missed so much the past few days, arrive back. _Oops, did that sound too desperate?_ she thought, wary.

"She'll be here tomorrow when you wake up. I'll tell her why you're not here to greet her."

Hermione caught another yawn; she had to face it, she wasn't going to be able to keep awake much longer, so as much as she hated it, and her heart ached, she resigned herself to going to bed.

She didn't want to risk just dozing and having another nightmare. She knew she would eventually have to deal with her dreams without a sleeping potion, but right now she was too tired to face the possibility.

"I think I _will_ go to bed," Hermione said "Before I fall down and snooze here," she smiled.

She just had the energy to get ready and slide into bed, drink her potion and settle back. She was asleep in seconds.

XXXXXXXXX

Hermione awoke to the sensation of someone sitting on her bed. She groggily turned over, opened her eyes, to see her beautiful red-haired girlfriend sitting there watching her_. Girlfriend? We haven't got to titles yet, but I seem to think of her that way already_, she thought.

Ginny smiled at her. "Hey there sleepy head."

"How long have you been there?" Hermione asked stretching, careful not to overdo it.

"Only about half an hour," said Ginny. "I got back last night and discovered you had already burrowed under your bedcovers."

"I couldn't stay awake last night. I wanted to see you when you got back, but my body decided otherwise," Hermione said a little glumly.

"I'm here now," Ginny said brightly. "Mum told me about yesterday. I wish I could have been here for you then," Ginny looked down for a moment. "I thought about getting into bed with you last night, but didn't because I didn't want to startle you."

"In truth, I'm not sure I would have known had Hagrid climbed into bed with me," Hermione said, causing Ginny to burst out laughing.

"Do I have some competition I need to worry about?" Ginny asked, one eyebrow cocked.

"Well, Ron wanted to sleep with me Saturday night," Hermione said, deliberately seeing if Ginny would take it the wrong way, for fun. _Bingo!_

"Where is he? That pathetic arsewipe!" Ginny stood up, face red and fuming. "Trying it on with you, now, of all times!" she was pacing the room now. "I bet he thinks he still has a sodding chance of marrying you? Not with no balls he doesn't!"

The red-haired woman looked at Hermione, who was silently laughing with her hand over her mouth.

"Oh Ginny, you're priceless!" Ginny still looked furious. "Ron didn't mean it like that. He just meant he'd stay in the room with me as a friend if I didn't want to be alone."

Ginny still didn't look happy about it.

"If it helps, your mum jumped on him and attacked him with a tea towel to begin with too?" Hermione grinned.

A grin finally made its way to Ginny's mouth. "I still wouldn't put it past my reprobate of a brother to try something," she said before sitting back on the bed.

Hermione swung her legs out of bed to sit on the side next to Ginny. She leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips.

"I've missed you so much Ginny," she kissed her again, a little longer.

"I've missed you too Hermione."

"Oh, congratulations on the win!" said Hermione, bubbly.

"Mum said you and she listened to the radio together?" the redhead raised an eyebrow again.

"Yeah, your mum and I had a _girls_ _afternoon_ together?" Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny starting laughing, as she predicted.

"I'm so sorry Hermione," she said in a mock apologetic tone, trying to stop laughing.

"It wasn't that bad really. I'll live! I wished I could have been at your match though," the brunette told her.

"The season's only just started, so there's plenty of time to make it to one of my games," said Ginny.

"There _is_ something good about you being away for match weekends," Hermione said looking thoughtful.

"Oh?" the redhead asked, wondering what on earth was good about being apart, in a flourishing and new relationship.

"The reunions are all the more sweeter," the brunette said, cupping Ginny's cheek and moving in to kiss her.

As always, their kisses progressed to making them both breathe faster. They pulled back from each other slowly and reluctantly.

"I think you might be right there!" said Ginny, stealing the tenderest of small kisses again.

"Hmm, I think I ought to get up now," Hermione said. "The sooner we start the day, the faster it will go by, and the sooner I can be in your arms again tonight."

"Hermione Granger, I didn't know you were so romantic?" Ginny asked grinning.

"The years I've been thinking about how to seduce you, I've had plenty of theory practice," the brunette said, blushing after admitting that fact.

Ginny placed a soft kiss on her lips and then on her cheek, before whispering in her ear. "You don't have to _think_ anymore. You _have_ me now."

The two women looked each other in the eye and Hermione could see clearly from those eyes that stared back at her, that she was silly for even jesting in her mind that Ginny would look at other women. That is to say, she might look at their wares but she didn't want to test them. She was Hermione's.

XXXXXXXXXX

The two women had the day to do whatever they wished. Ginny didn't have to train on a Monday after a match weekend, so she was free to spend the day with Hermione.

They talked about the quidditch match and about what it was like to play in front of large crowds, some of whom were hoping you would get hit badly by a bludger and some hoping you would knock your opponent off their broom instead. Ginny said she had had a couple of bruises, but they had all gone now thanks to the back-up medical staff at the Harpies.

If anyone had really studied the two women, and the way they interacted with each other, they would have suspected something deeper was going on between them. Fortunately Mrs. Weasley wasn't around them all day and as far as they knew, was oblivious to anything other than very good friends enjoying each others company.

Hermione knew that if their relationship turned out for the better, that Ginny's mother would find out eventually, and preferably it was better if they themselves told her about it. A very daunting prospect right now, but a future consideration.

Once dinner arrived, Hermione was already anticipating the night. She got to cuddle up with the woman she loved again tonight.

As usual, Mrs. Weasley examined her dressings and wounds. She had been right, no one would have known that she had accidentally pulled open two of them again. The dressings needed were slightly smaller again, which was much more comfortable for Hermione, and certainly itched less.

Ginny had finished up in the bathroom and got back into the room just as her mother was picking up the old dressings and leaving.

"Have a goodnight girls," Mrs. Weasley said as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Always thinking ahead, Ginny got into her own bed for a moment, causing Hermione to frown a little. She must have had a disappointed or worried look on her face which Ginny noticed.

"I'm not staying over here. Promise," she rolled over in her bed a couple of times. "Just making it look realistically slept in."

Hermione's face broke into a grin and said. "The devious Ginny Weasley at work."

Ginny got out of her own bed and slid in next to Hermione.

"I'll show you devious," she said, leaning over to claim Hermione's lips.

"I've missed you sooo much," Hermione said. "It was like a piece of me was missing," She kissed Ginny back.

They both rolled onto their sides, so they were facing each other, looking into each others eyes.

"Blast!" Hermione said. She rolled over the other way to get her wand from the bedside table. She flicked it in the direction of the door, casting a locking and sliencing charm over it. She rolled back over to face Ginny, grinning. "Nearly forgot about that!"

"Can I have another kiss now, then?" Ginny asked.

Hermione didn't answer, but reached over, put her arm around Ginny and honed in to kiss her. Ginny held her, a hand was around her back as their kiss immediately deepened. Tongues requesting entrance, and tangling and duelling one another, glad to be connected again. Ginny moved her hand slowly up and down Hermione's back. They pulled back to get a little air just looking at each other, contentedly.

"Mum told me that you have less dressings and bandages now? Despite what happened yesterday?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, I'm mostly healing quite well."

Hermione jiffled in the bed so she was lying on her back. Then she lifted up her T'Shirt enough, to show Ginny her stomach. "See? Nearly gone."

Ginny laid a gentle hand on Hermione's abdomen and tenderly traced the now fading scars with her fingers, and unexpectedly she leaned over and placed tiny kisses on and along each one. It caused Hermione's breath to catch in her throat; it felt amazing. The redhead looked up at her, with love and devotion clear in her eyes. Hermione was touched deeply by what Ginny had done. And she had no hesitation in what she did next.

"Another of the cuts has healed well too," she said."The one up here," and with no hesitation she lifted her T'Shirt off and over her head completely, to show the healed collarbone slash.

The redhead was speechless as Hermione discarded her T'Shirt and lay back down, her breasts bare and Hermione looking down at her with love and desire.

Sure, Ginny had seen quite a bit of Hermione's body, in helping her mother in the five days Hermione was unconscious, but she had never really felt able to look at her lustily and appreciate her body as it deserved. It hadn't entered her mind too much, due to the worry about her friend, and the frame of mind she had had to adopt was as if their two kisses had never happened and she had to put down _those_ feelings as she had for so many years, because she didn't think she could cope with the real threat of Hermione's death, if she thought in any other way.

"You're so beautiful Hermione," was all she could utter as she raised herself up slightly, and leaned over to place a small kiss on Hermione's lips. She then carefully moved herself to kneel, and straddle Hermione's hips, never taking her eyes from the brunette's, looking for any opposing sign and only seeing yearning and an open invitation to love her.

Ginny looked at the healed collarbone wound, touching the scar with the tip of her thumb then bent down to lightly kiss it, feeling Hermione threading her hands through her hair, lifting her head and guiding her to her lips again. Their tongues pressed against each other's as each took turns to explore their mouthes. Their breathing quickened in symmetry with their passion. Ginny broke the kiss and kissed a trail down Hermione's chin, jaw and neck, gently kissing the scar again and finishing with a kiss to her sternum having lightly licked a trail between her breasts.

Never taking her eyes off Hermione's face, searching for any doubt or hesitation, she moved her hands from Hermione's sides upwards to cup the underside of her breasts. Hermione sighed sweetly at that moment, and as Ginny moved her thumbs slowly across to rub both nipples simultaneously, she closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure. Ginny took her eyes away for a moment to watch her hands at work as Hermione's nipples hardened under her touch. She couldn't resist any longer, and leant over to kiss the tip of each nipple, first left then right. She then left a trail of kisses along the soft sensitive skin of the underside of each breast, before taking each nipple in her mouth, sucking and licking at them.

Hermione had begun to arch her back up, into Ginny's ministrations. This felt so good, she was melting into Ginny's touch.

"Have you done this before Ginevra Weasley?" Hermione asked in a breathy voice, astonished by the skills Ginny seemed to possess with her breasts.

"Not on you, of course," she grinned, then had the grace to pause and half cough. "You know, all-girl quidditch teams. Victory nights out, a glass too much to drink. Awkward liaisons."

Hermione wasn't sure she liked the idea of Ginny letting loose and sleeping with a team mate or opposing team member or whoever it was. Ginny saw the confused, slightly disgruntled look on her girlfriend's face.

"Nothing like that has happened for a long time, Hermione," she said continuing to cup and knead Hermione's breasts. "It's not something I'm proud of. I wouldn't do it again. It's bad for team cohesion, but also because I have you," She kissed both breasts in turn. "I don't want anyone else." Then she smirked. "The skills come in handy though," she said as she rubbed her thumbs over the pert nipples before her again. Hermione laughed softly between small breathy moans.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"I never thought I'd be half naked in bed, with Ginny Weasley, and hear her use words like 'liaisons' and 'cohesion'?"

"Cheeky mare! I'll have you know that not all quidditch players are thick as two short planks!" the redhead laughed herself, before leaning over and kissing Hermione thoroughly. Parting her lips with her tongue and exploring every inch of her mouth, while holding and caressing the brunette's breasts.

The redhead then sat back again just looking into Hermione's eyes. The brunette reached out to grab the hem of Ginny's T'Shirt.

"You too," Hermione said breathily. Ginny smiled and pulled off her shirt in one fluid motion.

This was like a dream to Hermione, to finally be able to touch Ginny. She reached both hands forward and moved them up from the woman's waist; even this small motion caused the redhead to shiver slightly with desire. Hermione cupped each breast, falling in love with them, each tipped by a perfect pink nipple. The two women jiffled slightly and Hermione half sat up, burying her head in between Ginny's breasts, kissing every inch of skin she found there. Hermione nibbled and sucked on those nipples, hard with arousal, and thought, _I've found heaven!_

Ginny had started emitting little moans too, wrapping her arms around Hermione with a hand in her girlfriend's hair, holding the brunette to her breasts. After a while she gently pushed Hermione back to lie down again and moved herself so her hips were now lying between her girlfriend's legs, and ever so carefully hovered over her and lowered herself, so their breasts touched, covering Hermione's mouth with her own again, and swallowing her moans. Hermione's hands were roaming Ginny's bare back, her toned shoulders and sliding lower to find her tight backside, squeezing it and pushing her hips into her more.

They started to move their hips in a rhythm, causing more moans from both women. It felt so good and Hermione could feel a familiar pressure building inside her, of want and need.

_God Ginny_, she thought, _this is a dream! This feels sooo good._

Then it all changed...dramatically.

Felgate was lying on top of her. Hermione rapidly blinked her eyes as if to clear her vision, but the feelings she had had were gone and she felt flat and empty.

It seemed as soon as Hermione felt that familiar feeling of her insides twitching, needing release, her attacker appeared and the feeling left her as quickly again.

_It's me, something is wrong with me_, she realized. _The woman I've loved for so long and fantasized about, is half naked on top of me and grinding into my hot groin and I can't go further? What the bloody hell is going on?_

Hermione felt hollow, frustrated and bizarrely she felt tears rolling down her cheeks, and expelled a couple of hitched breaths which turned to a sob, stopping Ginny dead.

"Hermione? Did I hurt you?" the redhead asked, frantic to know if she had somehow physically caused her pain, or leant on a sore place without knowing.

"No," said Hermione, trying to stop more sobs. "It's not you."

"What's wrong?" Ginny moved herself over and lay down next to Hermione, who had rolled onto her side and curled up slightly, her body shaking as she continued to cry. Ginny moved up behind her to spoon her, and placed an arm around her.

"Perhaps we moved too fast?" Ginny said. "It's OK. I'll never do anything that you don't want to. We can take our time, whatever you want?"

Hermione felt even more weird. For months and years _she_ was the one having to be cautious and having to hide and squash down her feelings and her deep lustful desires and now that things had turned out beyond her dreams, with Ginny wanting to be with her and they had started to get physical with each other, Hermione was the one acting like a virgin and the one being asked if things were too fast? _Bizarre!_

Ginny just held her, unsure of what else to do. After a time Hermione had stopped shaking and her sobs had gone.

"Ginny. I don't know what's happening to me?" she said confused. "This is ridiculous, I don't even know how to say it because it's so stupid and so typical of me. God, if Ron ever heard of this he'd probably laugh and say 'I told you so, I knew she was frigid and hated sex'."

"You can tell me Hermione. You can trust me. Talk to me?" Ginny asked, concerned about what was going on inside her girlfriend's head.

Hermione paused still trying to find a way to say it.

"I can't...I ca...oh bloody hell! I don't seem to be able to...you know...climax anymore OK?" She said utterly mortified and embarrassed.

"We didn't get very far tonight, so I didn't expect you to so soon," the redhead said softly.

"No Gin, it wasn't just tonight," Hermione swallowed and took a deep breath. "It's been a couple of times now, once or twice you've left me a bit, you know, hot," she blushed and smiled slightly for admitting it. "I tried to...err...solve it, but I couldn't get there. I tried later and still couldn't. And _he _always appears," she felt ashamed now. "I'd almost forgotten about it. Tonight I felt such want and need for you and suddenly nothing and _he's_ there instead; I can feel him pushing against me, hear him laughing."

Ginny held her more firmly not really knowing what to say. She hadn't expected to hear what Hermione told her, but in a way it hadn't surprised her either.

"Well, laugh, if that's what you want to do? Or consider going back to Harry if you think it's because I don't want you enough?" the brunette said, sounding hurt.

"Hey? I'm not going anywhere, Hermione," Ginny said as she pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"I do want you Ginny, believe me, I've wanted you so badly for so long. I don't understand what's happening to me. I love you so much, I trust you, so why can't I give myself to you fully? My heart wants it, so why can't my body and my stupid mind comply?"

"I don't know the answers to that, Hermione. But the fault is Felgate's, not yours. It's not a surprise that it's affected other things, something like that has to leave more than just physical scars," Ginny said softly, placing a soothing kiss on Hermione's neck.

"Why would that disgusting thing he did to me, affect the wonderful feeling I have with you?"

"I don't know. But what I do know, is that I love you Hermione. Yes, I _really_ love you. I want to be with you and I'll help you however I can. I'll wait for you, whatever you need," she placed feather light soothing kisses along Hermione's shoulder, to her neck.

Ginny contiuned. "There are other ways to make love without having to...you know...go the whole way. People are obsessed with orgasms...how many, how long and so on; you should hear the girls at the Harpies, bloody orgasms on the brain. But we can love each other's bodies without having the pressure of HAVING to have the big O."

Hermione wriggled to turn around and face Ginny.

"That's not very fair on you, Gin?" the brunette said.

Ginny smirked mischievously. "Well I can always see to myself."

Hermione's face coloured with a blush. The odd thing was, she was very turned on thinking about Ginny playing with herself, then depressed that she couldn't scratch her own particular itch at the moment.

"Tell me what you're thinking Herm?" the redhead asked, brushing strands of Hermione's hair away from her face.

"Um, I was actually thinking how bloody hot it was, the thought of you pleasuring yourself." Ginny grinned at her. "Then frustrating because I seem to only get aroused and can't get release for myself...which is just selfish."

"I'd like you to watch me...if you wanted to?" Ginny said staring into Hermione's lovely brown eyes. "You could even lend a hand if you wanted to?"

Hermione blushed again and found her breathing a little fast again. _Oh for goodness sake, you're an adult, not twelve, stop blushing! _she thought annoyed.

"I'll take that as a yes shall I?" Ginny smiled, leaned in and softly placed a kiss on Hermione's lips. "Unless you don't want to? There's no pressure, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I won't love you any less." She kissed her again.

Hermione placed a hand on Ginny's cheek, stroking it, while looking intensely into her eyes.

"I don't deserve you, Ginny Weasley," Hermione said.

"Yeah you do, and much, much more, you amazing woman," said Ginny, kissing away a tear that fell from Hermione's eye, causing the brunette to smile despite everything.

"What do you say about getting some sleep now? Take your potion, snuggle up and get some rest, yeah?" suggested Ginny.

Hermione nodded agreement. Ginny was about to pick up their discarded T'Shirts, when Hermione stopped her.

"No, let's leave them off, I want to feel you next to me. We've got the door locked."

The redhead smiled, still placing the T'Shirts near the bed, should they need to quickly don them. Then she got into bed and settled into the position they found comfortable the last time they shared a bed; Hermione hugging on to her, and no doubt ending up sprawled all over her by morning.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: This update is Chapters: 19, 20, 21 & 22. This 4-chapter arc I refer to as "Learning to Live With It"**

**These next four chapters might feel a little bogged down and slow, maybe a bit repetitive at times and possibly a bit soppy and sappy in places. A lot of the interaction/conversation between Hermione and Ginny occurs in the bedroom; but as their relationship is still secret and a bedroom is often the place a person can feel safest and most intimate with speech and body, it's fairly realistic. You might feel annoyed at me and annoyed at Hermione...but that's all part of it. :)**

**I have played around with these chapters, sometimes leaving one out, sometimes altering things, but I always came back to this order...it gives later chapters more substance and meaning and a clearer view of subtle changes. After all, if a person falls in a pond, they usually have to reach the bottom before they can swim upwards to the surface. ;) **

**WARNING: Some adult content within these four chapters.**

19

As Hermione slowly woke up the next morning, it was with great contentment to find that Ginny was spooning her from behind and had an arm around her waist. She felt so protected, so loved and so secure in her arms and she couldn't resist covering the hand that was wound around her, making it hold her even tighter, leaning back into the warmth that was Ginny.

It was an amazing feeling, being bare from the waist up. Hermione could feel Ginny's breasts against her back causing her to release a satisified sigh; then she felt the redhead stir.

"You OK?" Ginny asked her, moving her hand to cover Hermione's hand instead, interlinking her fingers.

"Yes. I'm with you," Hermione answered. Ginny placed a kiss on her neck, gently sucking and licking at the same place.

Hermione squirmed a little, releasing another sigh. She turned in Ginny's arms, to face her, brushing back loose auburn hair behind Ginny's ear, then tracing that wonderful jawline with her fingertips. She looked deeply into those eyes, and paused for a moment, before pressing her lips to the younger woman's. Just velvet soft lips nibbling at velvet soft lips, simple yet containing a spectrum of emotion. Bare breasts caressing bare breasts, two hearts beating hard, yet with a calmness of knowing the depth of trust held between them.

"I'm sorry about last night. I'm embarrassed too," Hermione said. "I hate what I've become; a snivelling coward, crying at every damn thing," she looked away ashamed.

"Hermione, stop doing this to yourself," Ginny said, while stroking her cheek. "I don't know anyone who could have survived what you have, and that was before that bastard Felgate. If anyone has a right to cry, it's you. I would be more worried if you didn't," she smiled. "You were patient in your feelings for me, you might need to be patient with yourself now. Except this time, you won't be alone," she briefly kissed Hermione's lips.

"I suppose we have to get up now don't we?" Hermione groaned.

"Unfortnately," the redhead said. "If I don't show up to train, I don't get picked."

The two women reluctantly disentangled themselves and set about finding clothes for the day. Hermione let Ginny go and use the bathroom first, as she had somewhere to be and Hermione didn't have to clock watch.

While her girlfriend, _yes that does sound good the more I think about it, _was getting ready for her day, Hermione thought on last night. No matter what Ginny said to her, it bothered her beyond belief that she had discovered a problem.

_Great, I'm sexually dysfunctional, _she thought, _just like one of those trashy people who appears on those awful talk show programmes on television I used to catch in the summer holidays. _

Hermione believed Ginny, and had no fear of her affections or trust, she just wished she could stop behaving like a wet rag and be the strong, confident, independent woman she was before Felgate had captured her.

A sweet farewell kiss and Ginny was gone for the day.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next few days were fairly uneventful much to Hermione's relief. She was feeling physically stronger each day and even her obstinate wounds were looking better and she no longer needed a dressing on them, just to use a drop of one of Mrs. Weasley's potions on them once a day. Sadly she would always have the scars on her collarbone, shoulder and arm, but at least they had closed up, after what seemed like forever. She could enjoy showers again and not worry about dressings getting damp and falling off, and that was a bonus.

She always looked forward to the evenings, when Ginny got back and couldn't wait for the nights. Of stolen kisses and embraces. They continued to sleep bare from the waist up, enjoying the closeness it made them feel, both emotionally as well as physically.

Hermione had felt several times that she wanted to go further physically, but Ginny was always the voice of reason. It was frustrating, but she knew Ginny was right and she would only feel more upset if she had to stop and couldn't continue.

They still had amazing moments of passion, but they kept it all above the waist. How on earth Ginny was keeping herself restrained, Hermione didn't know. The redhead said it was not the right time for either of them yet, so they enjoyed caressing and loving each others breasts, necks and lips.

Ginny was gone again for the weekend, a home game against the Tutshill Tornadoes. Again Hermione dreaded the time apart and had to suffer another _girls afternoon _with Mrs. Weasley. She was silently praying for a fast match, and got her wish when Ginny scored a couple of quick goals, and then their seeker caught the snitch. Hermione couldn't wait to see her girlfriend again on the Sunday night.

XXXXXXXXX

Sunday dragged on a bit, but Hermione decided to look through a box of old books the Weasley's had, and sat on the sofa in the living room reading various pages. Most of the books were not known to Hermione and she found herself lost in them. There was something about the smell and feel of old dusty books.

"Hermione, lost amongst a pile of books? Some things never change!" a familiar voice said.

The brunette looked up, kind of dragging her eyeline from an interesting passage she was reading on goblin marriages, to greet the voice. As soon as she made eye contact, her face broke into a huge grin.

"Ginny! You're early?"

"Not really. I think someone lost track of time sniffing books?"

"I do NOT sniff books," Hermione said, slightly ruffled.

"Yes you do. And nearly every book you pick up, I might add!" Ginny teased.

"_Pfftttt_," Hermione stuck her tongue out.

"Careful, a hungry creature might feast on that!" her girlfriend chuckled.

Ginny looked around checking to see that they were alone, and that no one was about to walk in, and quickly stole a kiss, pecking Hermione on the lips.

"Missed you," the redhead said, sitting on the sofa next to her girlfriend.

"I missed you too. You won again though? Much quicker this week?"

"Yeah, I took pity on you this time, and told our seeker, Geri, there would be hell to pay if she didn't catch that bloody snitch sooner," laughed Ginny.

"Your mum's not that bad really."

"Hmm, but you'd still like to keep your 'girls afternoons' to a minimum?" Ginny said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmm, yeah," Hermione admitted.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione was first to go up to bed that night, Ginny said she would follow her up but wanted to sort out her laundry from her bag first, as she didn't want her white T'Shirt to end up being turned pink by accident. It was something that frequently happened at the Burrow, apparently.

When Ginny arrived a few minutes later Hermione was plumping up their pillows. She had already changed into her sleepwear, although once they settled down, her T'Shirt would be discarded.

Ginny quickly got into her nightwear for her bottom half too and slid into the bed next to Hermione, who slipped off her top. They immediately reached for each other and kissed passionately, Hermione sliding her hands down to her girlfriend's breasts, kissing a trail down to them, and sucking on each nipple in turn.

"Hmm, I missed these," Hermione uttered.

"Maybe I should leave my boobs behind for you, when the rest of me goes off for quidditch?" Ginny said with a crooked smirk.

Hermione kissed her on the lips, unable to stop a smile despite their lips being joined.

"I missed the owner even more," she whispered before deepening another kiss with her girlfriend.

They broke from the kiss, and breathing a little more heavily, they rested their foreheads against each other for a few moments.

"I've got something to ask you Hermione," Ginny said. "I asked Mum about it and she's OK with it."

Hermione pulled back, and studied the redhead's face looking nervous. _What has Ginny asked her mother? WHAT is her mother OK about?_

Ginny saw her reaction. "Nooo! I didn't tell her anything about us," she reassured. "_I'm_ not ready for that!" Ginny moved slightly to hold both of Hermione's hands.

"Would you like to come and stay with me for a couple of days? At Holyhead?" the redhead asked, searching Hermione's face for her reaction. "It's OK if you don't feel ready to leave the Burrow yet. But it's something I thought about over the weekend?"

"I'd love to Ginny. God would I love to," the brunette grinned. "I love this place and your family, but I'm so sick of these four walls!"

"Even Mum said it might do you some good," Ginny brought Hermione's hands to her mouth and kissed them. "Of course we'll get a lecture about everything and she'll load us up with potions and remedies, no doubt."

"When can I stay?" asked an eager Hermione. "This week?"

"If you want to," Ginny smiled, she loved to see Hermione looking happy. "I've played so well the first two matches I think the coach will give me a couple of days off too."

"Can we go tomorrow?" said Hermione before she stopped herself. "Goodness, I sound like a kid about to go Hogsmeade for the first time?"

"I'm so pleased you want to stay with me. We'll sort out everything tomorrow morning. I have the Monday off as usual."

They shared a few more kisses, but Ginny suggested Hermione take her potion and they get to sleep so she wasn't too tired for tomorrow.

Hermione couldn't wait to stay at Holyhead. Somewhere different and being alone with Ginny and not having to hide or worry about someone finding out about their secret relationship accidentally.


	20. Chapter 20

20

Hermione was almost bouncing around the Burrow that Monday morning. As predicted, Mrs. Weasley had a couple of things she wanted them to take with them and insisted that should Hermione feel ill or upset in anyway, that they were to get back to the Burrow as soon as possible, either by floo or Apparating, or Ginny would never hear the end of it.

After plenty of "Yes Mum"'s and much eye rolling they were ready to leave. Mrs. Weasley hugged Hermione and her daughter. Hermione had her beaded bag with her, which held everything she needed.

Ginny decided that they would use the floo network; it was much grubbier than Apparating, but less tiring. They weren't sure how much energy Hermione had so the grubby option won.

Shortly before lunchtime, the women held hands in the large fireplace and Ginny used the floo powder and said their destination. In literally a flash they walked out of another fireplace into a quaint, small cottage's living room. Hermione brushed herself down and started to let her eyes roam over the room.

"It's not very big, but comfortable. It has all I need, anyway," said Ginny. "Let me give you a quick tour," she grabbed Hermione's hand again.

Having seen the living room and the small kitchen with dining area, Hermione already had a sense that she was walking through a mini version of the Burrow. It made her feel cosy and comfortable straight away.

They went upstairs and Hermione was shown the bathroom, the tiny guest room and then lastly Ginny's room. It didn't escape the brunette's notice, that it held a double bed. It made her wonder if Ginny had _been_ here with anyone, and she must have had an odd expression on her face as the redhead soon told her about it.

"No one has slept in there except me. Cross my heart" Ginny said. "You'll be the first person to share it."

"What? Not even Harry?"

"No. I always spent nights with him at Grimmauld Place or...," she saw Hermione frowning a little. "Anyway, you're the first here."

"I'm pleased to hear it," Hermione said, taking a step closer to Ginny and wrapping her arms around her waist.

Ginny put both hands up to Hermione's face and kissed her, tenderly.

They had both been quite lucky in not getting all that grubby from the floo journey, and a lazy quick spell removed any smudges from their faces and hands.

The rest of the day was spent talking and looking at things around the cottage. Ginny showed Hermione the small garden she had, which similar to the Burrow, had a gnome problem. Hermione explained to her that Anglesey, in muggle history, when the island was known as Mona, had been the last stronghold of the druids in Britain before the Romans neutralized them, and told her that druids were thought to wield their own kind of magic; they both understood that having more than your average gnome population here, might have been a parting gift from the druids.

They had a bit of fun watching these gnomes, seemingly having their territorial problems with each other, resulting in quite violent disagreements over ownership of various shrubs.

Ginny showed Hermione some things she kept in a box, photos and such from their Hogwarts days. Hermione had forgotten that some of those photos had been taken. Again it was both wonderfully nostaligic and fun, and occasionally sad. Photos from Grimmauld Place were very poignant; pictures of Tonks and Lupin together, with Tonks winking at Lupin when she didn't think anyone was looking; Sirius, and even one photo which caught Snape scowling out of the edge of it, was enough to make them feel both happy and sad at the same time.

Mrs. Weasley had gone to the trouble of preparing a dinner for the women to take with them, which all they had to do was wave a wand and a heating spell over. It only helped to make the cottage feel more like a mini Burrow attached to the bigger one.

Hermione was looking forward to the night. She already felt her stay had given her a liberating feeling.

The brunette went up first to wash and freshen up, while Ginny did a couple of chores. Magic and a wand made those chores quicker, but she still did them, and then she did a locking charm on the doors to secure the cottage. One can never be too careful, even if it's only a slightly tipsy muggle wandering around innocently and walking through the wrong door.

Hermione was sitting on the edge of the double bed waiting for her when she reached the bedroom.

"You get in, I won't be a moment" the redhead said, heading off to the bathroom.

The sheets felt wonderful to Hermione and everything smelled of Ginny. It wasn't a scent she could describe, but something she instantly recognized as her girlfriend.

Ginny walked through, not bothering to, or seeing the need to, put on her T'Shirt, causing Hermione to stare at those breasts as they swayed with the redhead's movement of walking to the bed.

"Hey, my face is up here?" Ginny laughed, making fun of Hermione staring.

"It's not my fault you have distracting boobs?" said the brunette blushing.

Ginny slid in next to Hermione, the brunette taking off her T'Shirt and lying back as the redhead leaned over and kissed her. She kissed a path along her jaw and nibbled lightly on Hermione's earlobe, provoking a moan as she whispered into her ear.

"Don't be embarrassed. I like you looking at me," she kissed her way to her other ear, stopping a little longer on her lips again before reaching it. "I'm glad you like what you see."

"How could I not?" Hermione answered in between little breathy moans. "You're beautiful Ginny."

Hermione pushed back at Ginny and rolled so that she was hovering over the redhead now. She kissed her thoroughly, pushing in and tangling her tongue with her girlfriend's. She kissed her way down to the hollow in Ginny's neck and sucked and licked the gloriously soft skin she found there, making the redhead breathe faster. As she moved back to her lips she slid her hands down to cup Ginny's breasts, moaning herself into her kiss as she felt those pink pert nipples harden up under her touch.

The brunette found herself moving to straddle her girlfriend's hips as she lowered her head and took the right nipple into her mouth, almost desperate in trying to feel as close as possible with the gorgeous woman below her. She cupped Ginny's left breast and lightly rubbed and pinched the nipple she found there, so it wasn't left out. She swapped over and and swirled her tongue over Ginny's left nipple, blowing cold air over it, gently raking her teeth over it, making Ginny moan loudly. The redhead rubbed her hands slowly up and down the outside of Hermione's thighs as she leant over her, reaching around every so often to squeeze her backside.

Hermione stopped what she was doing; she realized she hadn't done this before, not straddling her girlfriend like this and being so forward and more _active_ than usual, and it momentarily threw her. She felt thrilled and strange all at the same time. _Acting like a bloody virgin again_, she thought, _anyone would think I actually was one, not to mention being unfair to Ginny_.

"What are you thinking, Hermione?" Ginny asked quietly, after feeling Hermione stop her actions.

"I shouldn't be doing this. You must be...you know...really turned on, and that's not fair of me. Unless I'm not turning you on?" Hermione said full of doubt.

"Believe me Hermione, you _are_ turning me on," Ginny took a deep shuddery breath. "Why shouldn't you be doing what you're doing?"

"Well, I just thought it wasn't fair on you?" the brunette sort of mumbled. "I'm being a bit more...well, vigorous with you?" Hermione said blushing.

"Do you know what I think?" Ginny said, making Hermione look up with interest. "I think we both feel a bit more free here than at the Burrow. Even with a locking charm, it was still Mum's territory there."

"I think you might be right," said Hermione.

"I know I am," she got hold of Hermione's hands and put them back to her breasts. "Please don't stop what you were doing."

Hermione went back to worshipping Ginny's breasts with her hands and mouth, time passing them both by. She rested forward letting their breasts brush against each other as Hermione kissed her girlfriend on the lips. She rhythmically thrust her tongue into her lover's mouth and didn't realize for a while that Ginny's hips had started to rock against hers.

Ginny's hands found their way to Hermione's hips almost trying to push her harder against her. Then she broke the kiss, bringing a hand up to brush Hermione's hair out of her face, looking intensely into her eyes. Both women were panting and a little sweaty.

"Hermione." Ginny breathed heavily. "I'm going to be honest with you," she lifted her head up to gently peck a kiss to her lips to take any fear away of what she might say next. "You've made me wet. I mean, _really_ wet." Hermione's breath hitched a little in reaction to what Ginny had said. "I really need to do something about it. I guess there's only so much 'Hermione' my body can take!" she chuckled, stealing another little kiss.

"Now, I can go off to the bathroom by myself, or...or you can watch me," Hermione's eyes went wide, her eyes nearly black with desire. "You don't have to, I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

"God, Ginny," Hermione managed to say. She closed her eyes trying to process everything, and finally managed to answer. "I...I...," she blushed a deep red. _Oh for Merlin's sake you idiotic woman!_ she thought, which just made her blush more for being embarrassed about being embarrassed.

"OK," Ginny said smiling. "Nod for yes, shake for no."

Hermione nodded and assaulted Ginny's lips again, her tongue searching out its playmate.

They pulled back slightly as Ginny began to slide her shorts and underwear off, but she had only moved them an inch, when other hands were on top of hers helping her to slide the garments off. As Ginny lay back, Hermione eyes roamed her body; the long legs and toned thighs and the glorious triangle of auburn hair at the apex of her thighs. Hermione swallowed hard.

"So gorgeous," Hermione said.

The brunette settled alongside Ginny, a hand reaching out to cup a breast and flick her thumb over the nipple, as she lowered her mouth to the other breast.

Little moans escaped Ginny's mouth, she wrapped one arm around Hermione's back, catching it up in her hair, holding her head to her breast, as she parted her thighs slightly and slid her other hand down between her legs. Hermione could smell her lover's arousal and it was better than she ever imagined.

A guttural groan came from Ginny as her fingers found the place they were most needed. She started a slow rhythm on herself, her breathing coming faster. Hermione pulled back a little to look at her for a few moments; it was the most sensual and sexy thing she had ever seen. She felt herself get wet just watching, but decided to focus all on Ginny as it was less complicated for the moment. _Such a beautiful woman, getting herself off in front of me because I, Hermione, have made her feel that way...bloody hell!_

Hermione was almost hypnotized by the scene before her and found herself sliding a hand down Ginny's abdomen to rest over the top of Ginny's, between those long legs. The redhead's eyes flew open with surprise and pleasure. Ginny tried to focus on looking at Hermione's eyes from that moment.

This was like a dream for the brunette, she needed to feel more and after a while she boldly swapped their hands so that hers was the one stroking Ginny's clit with the redhead's hand on top of hers.

She lengthened the strokes, allowing her fingers to feel the whole of Ginny's slit. She couldn't resist it any longer and entered two fingers into her girlfriend, completely blown away by everything she was seeing and feeling.

Ginny shuddered. "I'm close Herm, so close".

Hermione slid her fingers back to concentrate on the redhead's hard nub. She felt Ginny's hand on top hers again, guiding her, and seeing her hips bucking more she sped up her rubbing motions. She entered her again with two fingers, leaving her thumb to stroke her bundle of nerves. Ginny was breathing heavily and moaning.

"It's all for you. I'm coming for you," the redhead mumbled as her back arched and her hips stilled before shaking and shuddering into a big orgasm. Hermione could feel her girlfriend twitching and bucking against her hand, and her insides tightening around her fingers and gradually slowed her movements to a halt.

Hermione crawled up the bed and placed soft featherlight kisses on Ginny's jaw, cheek and lips, as the redhead came down from her orgasm.

"That was...wow," Hermione whispered, nearly unbelieving over what had just happened. After a few more moments when Ginny had got her breathing back under control Hermione had to ask "Did it feel alright?"

"Alright? It was bloody awesome," Ginny said. She kissed Hermione thoroughly on the lips. "Are you OK, Hermione?"

"Yes," said Hermione in almost a whisper. "It was beautiful. _You're_ beautiful," she blushed a little, then felt a little down that she couldn't share that amazing feeling totally herself at the moment. Ginny saw her expression change.

"What's going through that pretty head, Hermione?" she kissed Hermione lightly on the cheek.

"I just wish I could trust myself and be able to feel some of what you were feeling. It's selfish of me," she couldn't look at Ginny.

Ginny thought for a moment. "Hermione. I'm not pressuring you, but I want to ask you something?" Hermione did look back to her then. "Did I turn you on?"

"God yes!" Hermione said, before adding in a quiet, abashed voice, "I know I'm wet."

"Would you like me touch you? Now? Not anymore than just touch you, just so you feel a little of it?" Ginny asked.

They were both aware that Hermione's breath had caught, obviously moved by the mere thought of it. She nodded and lay back, although she looked nervous. Ginny brushed her some stray strands of her girlfriend's hair from her face, and kissed her gently.

"Just look at me Hermione, just think of me," Ginny encouraged, with little tender kisses.

Ginny and Hermione together slid her shorts and underwear off, slowly. Ginny looked over her lover's body, it made her want to weep at the beauty, and also weep for the thought of that bastard violating it. She leaned over and pressed her lips to Hermione's, gentle, tender and testing little kisses.

She kissed the brunette's cheeks, her forehead, even the tip of her nose, ending in a trail of kisses to each earlobe. She couldn't resist whispering sweetly into her girlfriend's ear. "So beautiful. I want you." It elicited delightful little moans from Hermione.

The redhead, slid her hands down to caress Hermione's breasts, looking her in the eyes as she played with the aroused nipples under her fingers and thumbs. Ginny leaned in again and kissed and licked a pathway down to the valley between Hermione's breasts and then across to first the right breast, then the left. Taking a nipple into her mouth, letting her tongue swirl across and around the sensitive tip.

Moving position a little, so that Hermione was nearly on her side and facing Ginny more, Hermione reached forward and rested a hand on her girfriend's breast, almost bracing herself against her, it was rewarded with a smile from the redhead. Ginny cupped Hermione's cheek, kissed her chastely; soft lips only just dabbing at soft lips, before slowly sliding her hand down the brunette's neck, shoulder, brushing past and briefing cupping a breast before passing her hand over the contours of Hermione's hip. All the while frequently looking back to the brunette's eyes.

Ginny left her hand on the brunette's hip, gently squeezing the flesh there. She leaned in and kissed Hermione thoroughly on the lips, trying to convey all her love and care and want. Hermione's breathing was much quicker now, in arousal and anticipation. Ginny pulled back, eyes full of love and desire staring into similar dark brown eyes, as she slid her hand across Hermione's lower abdomen and lightly rested her hand on her girlfriend's mound, causing the brunette to gasp faintly.

"If you want to me to stop, at any time, tell me," she smiled sweetly and placed another loving kiss on Hermione's lips.

_Want her to stop?_ Hermione thought, _I never want her to stop!_

Watching her face, and only briefly looking down at the glorious sight of her hand between Hermione's legs, Ginny slid one finger into Hermione's folds, resting it on the hard clit she found there. Hermione's hips bucked involuntarily with the contact, voicing something between a loud gasp and a moan. Ginny moved that finger slowly, in tiny circular movements, just enough to cause pleasure without necessarily moving further.

"You're so wet Hermione," Ginny whispered as she nibbled her way to an earlobe again.

Hermione was only just able to answer. "I've...been...wet for you...for years!" she chuckled in short breaths.

"Must have played havoc with your underwear?" Ginny laughed softly back.

After a few more moments, Hermione had begun to slightly move her hips. She felt amazing; she wanted more. Maybe this was a freeing place to be in more ways than one.

"Touch me harder," she said in almost a whisper.

Ginny searched her girlfriend's face for any signs that that was not what she meant, but Hermione made it clear as she laid back once more, and opened her legs wider.

"Please Ginny," she said in a voice deep with arousal and need.

The redhead began to use two fingers and pressed a little harder against Hermione's clit with them, making much more deliberate strokes. Hermione was taking faster breaths, and couldn't stop her hips from moving to meet up against Ginny's ministering hand.

Hermione could feel that wonderful ache beginning low down, and she felt desperate to have her lover even closer to her. She knew she wanted her inside of her.

"Inside...please...I want you inside me." Hermione managed to say between sweet gasps.

Ginny was really unsure of this. "Hermione, are you sure?"

"Please," she said almost desperately.

So Ginny slid one finger down to the brunette's wet opening, and gently pushed in her finger, leaving her thumb to keep pressure on her bundle of nerves; she thrusted her finger slowly and softly in and out. Hermione moved her hips in time.

"More," Hermione breathed in a voice laden with desire.

Hermione felt wonderful; _Ginny Weasley is making love to me_, she thought, _I must be dreaming?_ She closed her eyes revelling in the feelings she was experiencing, awaiting her girlfriend adding a second finger.

_Hmm_, _there it is_, _sooo good_.

And then she felt the weight upon her, of someone lying on top of her, feeling the almost ripping sensation inside her. The ache of desire she had felt, now seemed like a long lost memory, and had turned into the feeling of Felgate thrusting into her. What had been a gasp of pleasure and desire turned into a hitched breath of a sob as if in pain.

Hermione then felt arms around her, not constricting, but gently holding her.

"I'm sorry, my love," the voice of the person she loved said. "I thought it might be too soon for all of that."

"Ginny, I'm so sorry," she cried against the soft skin of her girlfriend's chest and neck, as she was tucked against her, Ginny resting her head against her as she was gently rocked soothingly.

"It's OK, Hermione."

After several minutes of silence, Hermione crying out her fear and frustration she stilled and pulled back a bit to look at Ginny.

"I felt him again," she said quietly almost whispering, as if saying it louder would bring on a flashback. "I wanted _you_ Ginny, my god I wanted you. I was so close to just letting go. Then I felt him; over me...in...inside...," she tailed off.

Ginny felt her own eyes fill with tears, wishing she could take all those bad memories away for her. Using a spell like _Obliviate_ wasn't an option, these memories were the sort that could only be worked through with time and love.

"I think I understand things a bit better though," Hermione continued. "Why I can't, you know..."

Ginny wiped a tear from her own eyes in a nonchalant way, trying not to upset Hermione further, by letting her see that her heart was breaking for her.

"I think the feeling I get as I'm about to...well...," Hermione tailed off again.

"As you're about to go to O'Land?" Ginny helped her.

"Yeah, there," Hermione shook her head, annoyed at herself. "I think that burning ache, is close to the feeling of when he...," she couldn't voice it more than that, but Ginny understood it.

"You think your mind flashes to the bad memories because it was the last time you felt that similar feeling?" Ginny said. "I think you might be right. It's like your body and mind refuses it, because to let yourself, well, _come_, is in a way, letting yourself give in to that git and only remembering everything _he_ made you feel?"

Hermione looked at Ginny with such love in her eyes it broke the redhead's heart all over again. Then the expression and Hermione's eyes dropped away.

"I love you so much Ginny. You have to believe me. I want you so badly. I really do," she said in a low voice.

Ginny put a hand under Hermione's chin and tilted her head so she had to look at her.

"I know," she said smiling. "I could feel you did. I knew it anyway. I can see it in your eyes, and tonight I felt how your body responded. That was never in doubt," she pecked a kiss on Hermione's lips.

"How do I get rid of him?" Hermione pleaded. "I can't go on like this forever!"

"It's a time thing again," said Ginny calmly. "Time will heal. And you have me with you, every step of the way. If you'll have me?"

Hermione flung her arms around Ginny's neck. "Have you? My god, I've wanted you for so long; I've been in love with you nearly as long as that too," she kissed Ginny's neck.

They pulled back to look at each other.

"Well, Hermione Granger, I love you too. We'll get through this together," Ginny smiled kindly, showing her depth of feeling.

She meant every word of it, she loved this woman in her arms, more than anything, nothing would change that. They settled back together, with Ginny still holding Hermione close.

"Problems or no problems, you're bloody sexy in bed!" Ginny said. Hermione snorted with laughter.

"So are you. Total goddess!" Hermione told her girlfriend. "I suppose it's a good thing I'm not a man with my particular problem. I'd have a permanent hard-on for you!"

"Hermione Granger!" Ginny gasped, astonished, amused, and a little turned on.

They settled in silence again for a few moments, Hermione tucked up against her lover once more, and Hermione was almost sure that Ginny could hear the cogs working in her busy brain right then, she was sure she could hear them herself.

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"Can I still...make love to _you_? I know the situation's not ideal, so I'd understand if you'd rather not, until I can, you know...until we can both...?" _Hermione you're an adult, if you can do _it,_ you should be able to say it!_ she thought annoyed at her embarrassment again.

Ginny paused, her heart fluttering a little, with what she suspected was pure and utter love for the woman in her arms.

"Of course you can. I'd love you to, as long as you're comfortable with it?" she hugged the woman tighter to her, loving the feel of their bare skin touching each other.

"Actually if you didn't, I think I'd be spending a lot of time getting to know myself in the bathroom!" Ginny said.

Hermione let out a surprised guffaw, with an element of relief. She might have sexual issues at the moment, but she thought she would feel ten times worse if she couldn't touch the body of the woman she had dreamed of for all those months and years.

"God, if I didn't feel so tired I'd take you again now," Hermione said, not being able to stop a yawn.

"Horny goat!" Ginny laughed.

"Let me get your sleep potion and we'll get some rest OK?" Ginny got up, facing a little resistance from Hermione hugging on to her, and slipped on a bathrobe.

As Ginny got to the bedroom door she winked at her girlfriend. "You can have me again tomorrow!" The look on Hermione's face was a picture.

_Ginny is so beautiful, I'm so lucky_, Hermione thought as she waited for Ginny to bring her sleeping potion. _No. Correction. Ginny is fucking hot! Hermione, language!_

The redhead was soon back with a mug of the potion. Hermione couldn't wait to give up having to take that. It tasted fine, but it made her feel such a weakling.

The women snuggled up close together, Hermione rising up to give her lover a lingering, tender kiss goodnight. They shifted a little and ended up in one of Hermione's favourite places, Ginny spooning her from behind. Hermione got hold of the hand that circled her waist, kissed the knuckles then placed it up higher to hold her breast. _Yes, this is amazing, it feels sooo right_.


	21. Chapter 21

21

Hermione had spent two nights and three days with Ginny in Holyhead. They spent a lot of time talking about all kinds of things, and often just mundane subjects, sometimes comparing the muggle world with the magical, and just generally enjoying each others company. They laughed and they loved, managing perfectly well with their physical relationship, despite some of the missing elements.

It was Wednesday evening and the last night Hermione was staying at the cottage. Ginny had to train on the Thursday and was staying at Holyhead until Sunday night, to make up any time she missed with an extra team meeting and training session. Ginny refused to leave Hermione on her own in the house and Mrs. Weasley had sent an owl, which suggested she thought it was time Hermione got back to the Burrow too.

_Great, just as I'm getting used to this, we've got to part again_, Hermione thought gloomily. _Now I sound like a clingy sap! Get a grip! _

As she waited for Ginny to finish up in the bathroom she couldn't help but have an overactive mind. She loved it here, and fell into the domesticity of living with Ginny as easily as putting on a coat.

_If only her hundreds and thousands of fans knew, I had their star to myself at night._ _I get to sleep with Ginny Weasley! A naked Ginny Weasley! _she smirked to herself. _Now you just sound like a groupie!_

"What's funny?" asked Ginny as she walked through. Hermione's eyes honed in on those gorgeous swaying breasts.

"Hmm?" Hermione mumbled, completely distracted. She would never get used to, or grow tired of looking at Ginny's body.

"You were grinning wildly!"

"Oh. Nothing much. Just silly thoughts going through my head."

Ginny slid in to bed and put her arms around the brunette. They moved onto their sides to face each other but still being able to have an arm around each other.

"Care to elaborate?" asked a curious Ginny.

Hermione had the grace to blush. _Bloody hell, how does she manage to get me to blush all the time? I guess that's an improvement on coughing and spluttering._ She wrapped her arm around her girlfriend tighter, so they were impossibly close now.

"I was just thinking like...well...like a groupie," said Hermione unable to hide her own snort of laughter.

"A groupie?" Ginny laughed. "You're a groupie are you?"

Hermione pressed her lips to the redhead's, gently nibbling on those velvet lips.

"Well, I've followed you for years," Hermione said, beginning to punctuate each sentence she uttered with a kiss. "I've admired your body," _kiss_ "I want to be with you all the time," _kiss _"I disliked your previous choice of boyfriend through pure jealousy," _kiss_ "I wanted you all to myself," _kiss_ "Oh and the fantasies..."

Ginny giggled. "That sounds more like a stalker?"

"I'm that too!" Hermione grinned, kissing her for a little longer.

"So fantasies eh? I always thought there's was more than dust inside a bookworm girl's head?" Ginny laughed softly. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"What did you want to do to me in your fantasies?" the redhead asked with peaked curiosty.

"Too many versions to say," Hermione replied with a crooked grin.

"Did you have a favourite?"

"Maybe."

"Come on, tell me?" Ginny urged.

"Hmm, I always thought about greeting you after a quidditch match in the changing rooms. You're sweaty and glowing with athleticism. I push you up against a wall, strip you of your kit, and kiss my way down your body, before kneeling and...," Hermione blushed again. _Oh for god's sake!_ she thought.

"And?" Ginny asked in a husky voice, breathing a little faster.

"AND," _Come on just go for it girl_, she thought "and...sticking my tongue into your hot slit, licking and sucking you, and pushing my fingers into you, until your legs shake and you scream my name."

Hermione was almost panting now herself, her hand caressing Ginny's back, very aware that she could feel both her own and Ginny's nipples hardening against each other in their embrace.

"Whew! They always say it's the quiet bookish types you have to worry about," said Ginny feeling very warm.

Hermione rolled them, so she was on top of her girlfriend. She looked intensely into Ginny's eyes, an expression of total seriousness on her face.

"I love you Ginny Weasley," she said, before lowering her head to claim the redhead's lips, sliding a hand down the side of her girlfriend's body to hold and caress a breast, catching the moan she provoked against her questing, urgent tongue.

Hermione wriggled slightly so that she was lying between Ginny's legs, she could feel her lover's wetness brush against her own mound, causing her to moan herself. She finally left the unending depths of passion always to be found when their lips and mouthes were joined, kissing a path down to Ginny's delectable neck, while at the same time rocking her hips ever so slightly, knowing she would giving a little friction where it was needed. She kissed a trail to Ginny's ear, sucking and gently biting the earlobe, before whispering.

"I'm going to miss you, my love. I'm going to miss you so much. I'm going to make sure you remember me, till I can be in your arms again." She licked the beautifully soft earlobe again.

Both women were breathing faster, and letting out little moans of pleasure. Hermione kissed her way from the redhead's neck to her breasts. _I'll never get tired of these beauties_, Hermione thought, as she sucked on a nipple, swirling her tongue over it, as her fingers pinched and tugged on the other one. She switched breasts so each had the same amount of worship, her lover arching her back, moving up into her touch, placing her hands onto the back of her head and neck, keeping her in place.

_I'm not done yet_, Hermione thought. She kissed her way down Ginny's toned stomach, loving how she could feel the muscles twitch with desire as she caressed and teased the flesh. She had by now, slid down to kneel between Ginny's legs, her most intimate place, her divine treasure spread before her.

Hermione placed a hand on Ginny's stomach, and her other hand around a thigh as she lowered her head. She looked up to Ginny, at the very moment the redhead raised her head to look at what her lover was doing. Hermione lowered her head and brushed her tongue over Ginny's pulsing clit.

"Oh god! That is sooo good!" Ginny said, her voice laced with desire.

_You taste better than that cake we made_, Hermione thought with amusement. _Ambrosia indeed!_ She pressed her tongue against, and caressed the hard nub. She licked the length of her girlfriend's slit and back to the engorged bundle of nerves. Hermione had to hold her lover more firmly around her thigh better to control her thrusting hips.

She removed the hand, stretched out on Ginny's abdomen and slid it down the outside of the woman's thigh, before inserting two fingers into Ginny's wet and waiting cavity.

Ginny moaned loudly, panting. Hermione covered her girlfriend's clit with her mouth, sucking on it and flicking her tongue back and forth across it as she gradually sped up her fingers inside her lover.

"Herm-i-one. Oh gods. Soooo gooood!" Ginny panted.

Hermione was able to look up and see the woman she loved in the throes of passion and it never failed to stun her at the beauty of this woman.

She could feel Ginny's insides start to grip her fingers. She licked faster and harder at her girlfriend's centre, and curled her two fingers slightly to rub against that special place inside of Ginny.

"Come for me, Ginny," she said before moaning against her girlfriend's most intimate place knowing the vibrations from that would add to it all.

Ginny's hips violently bucked, her insides spasming hard. "HERMIONE!" she moaned loudly as she had one of the most powerful orgasms she had ever had.

Hermione slowed her movements down, but continued to lap at her lover's centre to ride it out the whole way, teasing every last ounce of passion from Ginny.

Her girlfriend lay back and stilled finally, breathing heavily and flushed in the face, a gorgeous glow to her cheeks. _The Weasley-I've-just-got-laid-shade-of-red_, Hermione laughed inwardly. Ron went the same colour after climax. _Oh shit on that, I don't want to think about him now!_

The brunette placed a sweet kiss on the inside of each of Ginny's thighs, before crawling up the bed to lay beside her, leaning over to kiss her slowly and sensually on the lips, letting the redhead taste her own arousal. Hermione left her fingers inside Ginny, she was being gripped too hard still to remove them yet. _I like them in there anyway_, Hermione admitted.

Ginny hadn't said anything since she came, she was taking a while to come down from her high. Hermione placed light little kisses on her lips and cheek, brushing those gorgeous auburn red locks away from Ginny's sweating forehead.

"I've wanted to do that for years," Hermione said quietly.

"That was amazing! Whew!" Ginny managed to say after a few moments.

"You enjoyed that?"

"Well, duh! It's only the best bloody orgasm I've ever had!" Ginny said, still breathing a little hard.

Hermione leaned over, tenderly pressing her lips to her lover. As she moved, she accidentally moved her fingers, causing Ginny's hips to buck involuntarily.

"Oops. I didn't mean to do that. Sorry."

"Hermione Granger, never apologise for having your fingers inside me!" Ginny chortled.

"Hmm, I like them there. You feel so good," Hermione said in almost a whisper.

"I love having you inside me, Hermione," said Ginny, her insides spasming slightly from voicing her erotic opinion.

Ginny slid a hand down between Hermione's legs, sliding a finger into her warm, wet folds.

"Someone's turned on?" smirked the redhead, as Hermione sighed loudly.

"How could I not be? You're fucking hot, Ginny!"

The redhead's eyes went wide, she wasn't accustomed to Hermione using the four-letter word. She liked it; she liked it a lot. Hermione giggled at the reaction.

"Mind you, you'd still be just as hot if you wore an old potato sack and were covered in cow dung," Hermione continued.

Ginny, gently caressed Hermione's aching clit. They had worked out that this was fine and didn't cause any of the problems that showed their ugly head when movements were more frantic and searching that release. This way, Hermione got some pleasure without the anguish.

Hermione's breathing was a little faster and shuddery. As frequently happened she was thinking daft thoughts, _Ginny Weasley has her hand in my crotch, Ginny Weasley is playing with my...!_

She must have been grinning outwardly again as Ginny looked at her amused.

"What's tickled you now?"

"You mean apart from your finger on my clit?" replied Hermione. "Just some more groupie thoughts!"

Ginny laughed. "I don't take fans or groupies to bed. But with you I make an exception."

"I'm glad to hear it!" said an adamant Hermione.

"Hmm. You can come out now," Ginny told her lover, referring to her still deeply embedded fingers. She kissed Hermione as the brunette gently slid her fingers out, Ginny's inner walls making an attempt to hold her back as she moved them, causing the redhead to moan into Hermione's mouth as she felt the loss from within her.

"Are you OK?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I just wish I could keep you in there forever."

The redhead rolled them slightly, so that Hermione was on her back and Ginny was against her side, and able to hover over her upper half. Keeping her finger inbetween her girlfriend's slick folds, she lower her head and took a nipple into her mouth. The brunette moaned. She proceeded to make love to Hermione's breasts, frequently rising up to kiss her deeply on the lips, kissing to an ear and whispering to her about how beautiful she was.

Ginny felt so sad for Hermione, that she couldn't give her release, and she couldn't imagine how frustrating it felt to be able to get worked up, but not break through the barrier of climax, knowing to get near it was to relive the worst of horrors. With her kisses and caresses, she tried to show Hermione how much she loved her. It would all work out eventually, and she hoped that soon Hermione could feel what she had felt tonight, without any fear.

Hermione's energy levels were still not perfect and Ginny sensed she was getting drowsy and slowed down her movements.

"Let's get some sleep," the redhead suggested.

"I wish I didn't have to go tomorrow. I miss you already," said Hermione. "Urgh, that sounds so drippy!" she added

"No it doesn't. I feel the same way. I'm going to miss you. Sunday night will feel like years away," admitted Ginny.

"I'll just have to get used to it. And ravish you when the opportunities occur."

Ginny burst out laughing. "I look forward to that!"

The redhead passed her girlfriend the mug of sleeping potion, amused at the grimace on Hermione's face as she downed it.

They cuddled up, sharing a short goodnight kiss, wishing the night would last longer than any night before, to postpone their parting in the morning.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Whenever I involve Fleur I refuse to write accented English for her. I like the character very much, but I don't like making her sound like a intellectually challenged character from 1980's British TV comedy series "_Allo Allo_". It's why in her first appearance in my story, I stated that she hadn't got much accent now. I think we all know her well enough, to think of her talking with a very slight French accent without my having to write it that way. :)**

22

Hermione's feet felt as if made of lead as she did a final check around the cottage to make sure she hadn't left anything behind. She didn't want to leave; she didn't want to leave Ginny and this glorious cottage.

"You ready?" Ginny asked as she walked into the living room.

Ginny was ready to leave for training, once she got Hermione safely back to the Burrow.

"Yes," answered Hermione. "No," she screwed her face up like a spoiled child.

"I know," the redhead said putting her arms around her girlfriend and hugging her tight, burying her face and nose into the brunette's hair.

They pulled back slightly and kissed slowly, savouring every moment.

"Hmm, we better get going," said a reluctant Ginny.

They stood in the fireplace, holding hands as Ginny used the floo powder, and after a very short span of time they appeared in the Burrow's floo fireplace.

"Arrrgggghh!" a woman exclaimed, nearly falling over backwards.

"Mum? What are you doing?" asked a startled Ginny as she went to help her mother to her feet.

"I was just cleaning the hearth here, I didn't expect you for a while?" her mother said.

"I have to get to training, so I wanted to get Hermione back and not rush anything."

Hermione was brushing a little fireplace grit off the front of her shirt.

"Hermione! How are you dear?" Mrs. Weasley said, approaching her and giving her a warm hug.

"I'm fine. I really enjoyed my stay with Ginny, we had a lovely time," replied Hermione. _Don't blush, do not blush! _she sternly thought to herself.

"I'm glad to hear it. A change of scenery can work wonders."

"Well, I have to get going now," Ginny said, looking at Hermione. "I'll see you all Sunday, then."

Not really knowing what to do, Ginny went and gave a friendly hug to Hermione, who was still trying to talk herself into not blushing or giving away anything with her body language. She ended up looking a bit stiff, which was almost funny.

"Thanks for having me," Hermione said, totally innocently, as they disentangled from the hug.

Ginny's eyes went wide and she coughed. Hermione realized what she had said and could feel her cheeks burning.

_Great!_ Hermione thought, _why don't you just thank her for holding your naked body and for letting you shag her?_

Mrs. Weasley looked at the pair of them slightly bemused. She didn't get a chance to ask why they were acting oddly as Ginny feigned that she had some dust in her throat from the floo journey, then she was hugging her mother and had left the fireplace.

"Is everything OK Hermione?" the older woman asked.

Hermione thought for a split second before answering. "Absolutely. We had such a nice time, I'm going to miss her these next few days." _There, that wasn't blatant or suspicious...was it?_

"Sunday isn't that long to wait," Mrs. Weasley said. "How's everything with you? Any problems? Did you use the potions I gave you?"

"Yes. No issues, no problems," the brunette replied. She then had a cup of tea with Mrs. Weasley and was telling her about her stay at Holyhead, deliberately not saying anything much about the nights and the sleeping arrangements.

XXXXXXXXXX

Another Saturday, and another match day. Hermione had been moping around the Burrow; she tried hard not to be too gloomy around the Weasley's, but she was missing Ginny badly. She wished she was going to the match today, to see the Harpies take on Puddlemere, but she hadn't gone anywhere much yet, that didn't involve being in a Weasley residence, and she hated to admit it, but she felt nervous at the idea of being out in the open.

It was especially hard, when she knew, so much of the magical world knew, that she had been recently tortured and nearly killed. Fact and rumour collided and she just didn't want the stares and the awkward behaviour, or the questions that the less self-conscious might ask.

It was just after lunchtime and almost the time the Weasley's would be congregating to go to the match. She walked into the kitchen and sat waiting for everyone to turn up.

Surprisingly for her, Bill walked through the door first, with Fleur in tow.

"Hello you two!" Hermione said, hugging Bill, then looking to Fleur.

Oddly the Frenchwoman had her head down a bit and looked a little tired too. She looked up at Hermione sadly.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been to see you. You must think me uncaring and callous?" Fleur said apologetically.

Hermione went over to her and embraced her warmly.

"Don't be silly Fleur. There's no need to apologise. I understand. I'm pleased to see you now and that's good enough for me."

Fleur smiled at her, looking less down and guilty.

"How are you Fleur? Bill has told me how busy you've been at work?"

"I'm a little tired, but this past week has been better. I thought I'd keep you and Mrs. Weasley company this afternoon."

Hermione's brain kicked in. And she looked for Mrs. Weasley, who had then opened the door to Ron, who gave a slight wave of 'hello' in her direction.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked. "Why don't you go and watch Ginny today?"

"We've talked of this before. I won't leave you here alone."

"I won't be, Fleur is staying." She grabbed hold of Mrs. Weasley's hands. "I know how much you've wanted to see Ginny play. I'll be fine with Fleur."

Mrs. Weasley eyed her almost suspiciously, then realized there was no issue to be resolved at all. She nodded her head and sped off to the stairs to go and change.

Hermione found Fleur then making her way into the living room.

"I hope you don't mind, but you're going to be my bodyguard, nurse, carer...whatever the hell it is, for the afternoon?" the brunette said.

"Mrs. Weasley is going to the match?" the blonde asked.

"I told her that I wouldn't be alone, because you were here, and I know how much she's wanted to see Ginny play, so it works out for everyone, as I can't imagine being cooped up in the house with me _and_ Mrs. Weasley was going to be fun for you?"

Fleur grinned, with delight and quite a bit of relief. After a few minutes and a bit more flapping around on the part of Mrs. Weasley, making sure she had packed up everyone's snacks in the wicker basket, the Weasley clan left for the match. Of course the woman still had to give a small lecture on what they were to do in an emergency and how to contact her fast.

Finally the house was empty except for Fleur and Hermione both of whom were exhaling a deep sigh of relief having seen off the whirlwind that was Mrs. Weasley.

They got some nibbles to take through for the afternoon and a couple of drinks. Fleur kept looking at Hermione, and the brunette was aware that she was being observed and watched by the blonde who thought she didn't know it. After a short, nearly awkward amount of time, Fleur seemed to work up courage to talk about the recent past, not knowing how Hermione felt about the subject.

"It's so good to see you Hermione. I saw you the day after...after they brought you back," Fleur looked down. "I will be honest. I did not think you would survive. I'm sorry I had no faith in you then. I see how well you look now and I'm ashamed that I ever thought you were dying."

"Fleur, I _was_ dying. Mrs. Weasley hasn't said it as plainly as that to me, but I can tell from both her and Ginny, that it was far from certain that I would live," Hermione stated plainly.

"Have your wounds healed? Bill heard from his mum that some were not so good?" Fleur asked quietly.

"I had three very stubborn places, but they've just about healed now. Unfortunately those three are permanent scars. Ginny thinks I ought to treat them like Harry's scar, a war wound, badge of honour or some such crap. I suppose it will be a good reminder for me, that I won, in the end."

"How are you really?" Fleur asked, penetrating Hermione's gaze with her piercing blue eyes.

"As I said, just about healed up..."

"No. I mean...," Fleur paused. "I mean, how are you up here?" she pointed to her head.

Hermione didn't answer, she tried to hold those blue eyes with her own and look defiant and confident, but she was not able to lie to the Frenchwoman. Fleur had helped her survive the horrors of Bellatrix Lestrange, she deserved to know the truth.

"Not quite right," Hermione said, lowering her eyes feeling, weak and pathetic again. "I can't sleep without a sleeping potion yet; nightmares. Only these are the kind where I feel everything all over again, not just seeing things. There are some other things too. I think some of it, I'm just going to have to learn to live with, and accept the changes that have happened to me. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny have been so good to me. I couldn't have asked for more care and love."

"Hmm," Fleur said studying the brunette still. "Something else has changed hasn't it?"

Hermione looked back up surprised. "What has?"

"You're in love aren't you?" Fleur asked with the slightest quirk of her lips.

Hermione stared back at her, a little stunned but also embarrassed and a bit scared. _How on earth does she know that? How am I going to answer? I can't lie to her. Oh shit, here we go..._

"W..what, do you mean?" Hermione tried to deflect and gain a bit more thinking time.

"You, Hermione Granger, are in love with someone. You always have been, but something has changed. They love you back now."

Hermione felt her jaw go slack and her eyes almost pop out. Fleur couldn't suppress a small laugh.

"H..How did...know...what...that?" asked Hermione. _Great, now you can only utter pigeon-English sentences!_

"I can't tell you precisely, because it's hard to explain completely. It's the Veela part of me. Veela's are creatures that value love and lovers and live and breathe emotions. Sometimes scents are involved too, but I won't embarrass you further with that line of thought," Fleur grinned. "A person changes when they are in love and when they are loved back. Most are things that ordinary people can't define, although they know something is a little different about the person. However, Veelas _know_ exactly what the signs are and what they mean."

Hermione put her head in her hands, resigned to the fact that Fleur knew. _Ah, but did she know who it was?_

"And yes, I know it is Ginny," Fleur chuckled.

"What are you? A mind reader now?" Hermione spluttered.

"No. But I thought I'd answer before you wondered if I knew and asked," Fleur put on a serious face again. "I'm sorry Hermione, I don't mean to make fun of you or to embarrass you. The Veela can sense it, but I can see it too. Every time you mention her name, or refer to something when she was there, you say her name slightly different. That's the easiest way I can describe how I know. Also, when we have these family get togethers, I see how you look at her."

The room was quiet again. Hermione didn't really know what to say or where to start, and spent a couple of moments deep in thought.

"Are you disgusted?" the brunette asked.

"Absolutely not!" Fleur exclaimed. "Love is love, no matter what gender they happen to be. Besides Veelas often choose female life-partners. We don't live in the Dark Ages anymore!"

"Mrs. Weasley probably does," Hermione voiced resignedly.

"She might be difficult at first, true, but she will come around to it. She loves both you and Ginny. We've all had so much sadness I can't imagine she would deny her blessing to seeing you two happy together."

"Neither of us are ready to tell anyone yet. Although Luna knew I'd loved her for years," Hermione said. "With everything that has happened we need to pace things."

"Yes. Time is always the key when dealing with less than easy things, as with so many other things," the blonde reassured.

"Yeah, bloody time. Always time. Time heals. Time makes pain go away. Time lets you deal with things. Time will let you accept. Time will help you live with it. Time will stop you feeling like your heart got ripped out and eaten. Time will let you love, eventually. Just wonderful ruddy time."

Hermione was aware that she had just had an almighty ranting ramble, she was also aware that Fleur was looking at her concerned.

"Hermione, would you like to talk? I'm here to listen. Anything you tell me will go no further...you know that."

"I'm just tired of waiting. First it was my wounds. Then the wounds that didn't want to heal. Now it's not even being able to take a damn nap without the nightmares haunting me...that evil git goading me. Will I forever be drinking sleep potions?" Hermione couldn't seem to stop her flow of words.

Fleur looked at her, full of compassion and was doing as she said she would, listening. Hermione didn't seem able to stop her rambling and ranting, and as Fleur didn't say anything it felt like the blonde was waiting for her to say it all, as if she knew there was more that hadn't been said yet. Hermione knew she could trust her, and let her ramble continue.

"Am I going to be some creepy person dependant on that blasted potion for the rest of my life, like a junkie? Every time I see my scars, will I always hear that voice, see that awful shimmering knife. Will I ever be able to...will I ever be able to give myself to Ginny? And not feel that bastard inside me." _There, I've said it. _Hermione felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she didn't know herself if it was from sadness or anger, or both.

Fleur had aubilbly gasped and held a hand to her mouth. She had no idea about the rape part of Hermione's ordeal. Of course she knew it was a strong possibility but she had assumed Mrs. Weasley would have told her, and hearing nothing from her, Fleur had been so relieved for her friend; but bless that Weasley woman, she hadn't said anything to save Hermione from further awkwardness around people.

The Frenchwoman, got up and sat next to Hermione on the sofa, she placed an arm around her. Hermione turned and hugged her tightly. Fleur couldn't stop a tear escaping from her own eyes.

"I had no idea Hermione. I truly hoped it hadn't happened. I'm so sorry," Fleur said.

They sat back, and Fleur wiped a tear from Hermione's cheek.

"You are an amazing woman, Hermione Granger. I hope Ginny knows that?" the blonde said almost protectively.

Hermione didn't say anything for a moment, and just gave a soft smile. She knew she was safe to tell Fleur anything and thinking about it more and more, she actually felt comfortable, or as comfortable as she could be, to talk to the woman about everything.

"I wish I could show her what an amazing woman _she_ is. And...and truly give myself to her," the brunette said sadly.

"When you say 'give', you mean in a physical way, yes?" Fleur asked carefully.

Hermione nodded. "_I_ can make love to _her_, but I can't...," she tailed off, blushing.

"Try not to be embarrassed Hermione. It's me you're talking to," the blonde reassured.

"I can't reach orgasm myself," said a furiously blusing and mildly ashamed Hermione. "I feel it building inside me, and then nothing except feeling that man, his weight over me or him laughing. When we, made love a few nights ago, we...well...I couldn't bear it and had a flashback. I felt that man inside me again. I even felt the git lying on top of me. I freaked out," Hermione looked down.

Fleur held one of her hands, squeezing it to let her know she wasn't alone.

"It is difficult to be sure. You've talked to Ginny?"

"I've told her everything. I trust her with my life. I just feel so bad for her. It's not like our relationship is going to be easy anyway, but she deserves so much more than having to deal with her mentally unstable girlfriend, who freaks out if she...well...if she tries to make love to me properly," Hermione was mostly angry and annoyed, rather than upset at the moment. _Is that progress? Or just another side to my mushed up mind?_

"She loves you Hermione," Fleur smiled. "I'm not going to tell you it will be easy, you already know yourself that it won't be. I don't know what you're feeling exactly, because I haven't had to face what you have. However, I do know that if you love each other, you will find a way. Having that love will help you faster than if you were alone. I think you're going to have to concentrate on your love for her."

"I do already. I want her so badly and I want her to touch me, I do," Hermione just wished she could flick a switch to make things better.

"You are going to have to replace your nightmares with your love for Ginny," Fleur tried to think of the best way to explain what she meant.

"Essentially, you'll have to try to replace those bad physical memories with new memories. So what you feel you only associate as from Ginny, and you gradually push out that man. It will mean you might have to go through some living nightmares in some ways, but sometimes the best way to beat something like this is to replace it with a better memory. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it does. I've kind of thought about that too. I've just been so exhausted, I don't know if I can fight that man again and again until he's gone."

"You must not view everytime you make love as a hurdle, and see every night as a problem. If you do you gradually train yourself to dread that time and that makes it all worse. Not every time you make love, do you need to reach an orgasm. Just enjoy each other, the closeness and let things happen," Fleur advised with all seriousness.

"I have tried to think that way, and we have sometimes just enjoyed each others bodies with no pressure," Hermione felt her blushing cheeks renew their red colour. "It's just in the back of my mind about what we're missing and what I can't do."

"Take the pressure off yourself, and let each night happen as it wants to. You're a fighter Hermione. I hate to say this, but it will take a little time," she gave a crooked smile. "But you and Ginny love each other. You're safe with her. As long as you know and feel that, it will happen. I promise," the Frenchwoman placed a kiss on her cheek. " I also think, that once you begin to build your recovery with that part or your life, then you can face the nightmares of your sleep, because you will have defeated them or learned to deal with the waking ones."

Hermione looked down and studied her hands for a minute or two.

"Thanks for listening Fleur. I sometimes feel I'm only just hanging onto sanity. What you've told me, are things I know deep down are true. But my goodness, it feels better now someone else has said them, now that _you've_ said them to me."

"No problem. If you ever need to talk about anything, find me. Ok?"

"I'm not sure the goblins would like me turning up unannounced at the bank for a coffee chat?" Hermione grinned.

"Let me deal with them! Nasty buggers!" Fleur shook her head.

Hermione couldn't help bursting out laughing. "Fleur, your grasp of English slang is getting better all the time!"

The Frenchwoman looked at her with almost an offended look, then couldn't stop joining in with a laugh too.

Hermione did feel better, and not just from the laughing, but now she missed Ginny even more.

"She'll be back, and Sunday night will arrive before you know it, Hermione," the blonde woman said with a smug expression.

"Will you stop reading my mind?" said an exasperated Hermione.

"I'm not reading your mind. I'm reading you body language. Plus I am a good guesser," Fleur continued to look at Hermione. "You know, I knew you and Ginny had feelings for each other back when I first visited Hogwarts for the Tri Wizard tournament," she smiled at Hermione's disbelieving face. "She worshipped the ground you walked on and you kept trying to ignore what you felt for her and decided to take the Ron route with a Viktor Krum diversion. It was almost amusing if not so very sad. I knew, that if only you would somehow confess to each other, that it could be a very beautiful thing, you and Ginny. Both of you were so stubborn about what you _thought_ you knew about the other."

"Well thank you Mystic-bloody-Meg!" Hermione said. "If you saw all that, or Veela'd it out, then why didn't you say something or prod us together...or...I don't know?" Hermione held her hands up in fake frustration, then cracked up laughing.

"Who's Mystic Meg?" Fleur asked.

"Muggle astrologist. Even less accurate than Professor Trelawney."

"Oh," Fleur laughed.

They turned on the radio for the beginning of the quidditch reports. It seemed the match against Puddlemere was close, with the teams tying for points all the time. 20-20, 40-40 and so on. After an hour it was 100-100. Hermione began to wonder if Ginny should threaten the seeker again to catch that blooming snitch. As she was thinking of it, that very thing happened and the Harpies won. Hermione and Fleur punched the air in victory.

So that was three wins out of three for the season. _Definitely some congratulatory kisses will be due, and maybe a bit more...breasts, thighs...tongues_.

Hermione looked up and saw Fleur openly smiling at her and she even winked at her.

"Oh shut up!" Hermione said.

Fleur burst out laughing and Hermione joined in. It had been a rather nice afternoon, even with the seriousness of their talk. Sunday night really couldn't arrive soon enough.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks to everyone sticking with this. :)**

**This update includes Chapters 23, 24 & 25. I call this arc "Unexpected Challenges".**

23

Hermione had great trouble keeping her anticipation of Ginny's return under control. She found herself looking at books, but not reading anything on the pages, and if she did, she forgot what she had read. She frequently looked at the time as well.

Ginny arrived in time for dinner that evening, just as she and Ron and his parents were starting to eat. Hermione nearly choked, torn between swallowing her mouthful of food and jumping up to greet Ginny, although stopping herself from showing any overt behaviour too. It left the brunette with a minor coughing fit, with Ron slapping her back a couple of times and Hermione just being able to lamely wave a hand at her girlfriend.

_Great, we're back to the spluttering of food and beverages again!_ she thought.

Ron immediately started to talk to Ginny about the match yesterday, talking about some moves she pulled off and his personal favourite where she fouled one of the opposition, behind the referee's back. Her justification was that she had been nobbled herself fifteen minutes before that.

"So Hermione, how was your weekend? I hear Fleur stayed with you?" Ginny finally got around to speaking to her.

"Yeah, it was quite fun. I hadn't spent time with Fleur for a while, so it was good," then Hermione's eyes lit up. "Well done on the win!"

Ginny smiled back at her radiantly.

After the group moved to the living room with lots more chatter, Hermione yawned, stretched and said her goodnights as she decided to head upstairs for the night. She was hoping Ginny wouldn't be too obvious and didn't nearly get a tow from her up the stairs, but she trusted that the red-haired woman had thought about that.

About half an hour later, Hermione heard footsteps on the stairs, and then onto the landing. The bedroom door opened and in walked Ginny. Hermione nearly leapt to her feet, pushing Ginny up against the door as it closed, assaulting her lips.

"I've missed you," she breathed huskily.

They kissed heatedly for a few minutes and were then rudely disturbed by a knock on the door. The women both took a couple of quick calming deep breaths, with Hermione going to sit on her bed, putting on the pretence of total innocence.

The door didn't open, so it wasn't Mrs. Weasley. Ginny opened it and Ron stood there.

"Oh, er, hi. We just had an owl from Harry," Ron said almost awkwardly. "He's coming round first thing in the morning, and wants to talk to you, Hermione. Anyway, Mum wanted me to tell you."

"Thanks," Hermione said.

"Right, night then!" said Ron as he turned and left to go up another flight of stairs to his room.

Ginny closed the door again, this time she whipped out her wand and charmed the door with the locking and silencing spells.

"I wonder what Harry wants to talk about?" Hermione thought outloud.

"I've no idea. I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

The two women undressed and got into bed, almost straight away holding onto each other, and sharing a slow, sensuous kiss.

"I've missed you Hermione," the redhead said. "I've missed your kisses," she said, punctuating that sentence with a soft kiss on the lips. "Oh and I've really missed these," she said laughing as a hand held one of Hermione's breasts, and she dipped her head to kiss it. They snuggled into one another, enjoying the closeness that they had both been missing since Hermione left Holyhead.

"How was it, spending an afternoon with Fleur? Really?" Ginny asked amused.

"It was good, actually," the brunette replied. "I know you will never truly approve of her, but she's a good woman."

"Wonderful! Great!" Ginny replied sarcastically, and with just a tiny bit of something like envy.

"Someone's jealous?" the brunette smirked.

"Am not!"

"Yeah you are!" Hermione giggled, poking her finger to Ginny's chest. "I don't know why you are, I could never look at anyone other than you? I want no one other than you." She trailed a light path of kisses up Ginny's neck and ended with a deep kiss.

"She knows about us, Ginny."

"WHAT? Why did you tell her?" the redhead was astounded.

"I didn't, she guessed. In fact she told me all about you and I, and how much she saw between us, going back to the Tri Wizard tournament," Hermione told her girlfriend.

"I bet she turned her nose up at the thought of us though, and made use of her superior attitude?" Ginny stated.

"No, not at all. She was telling me that Veelas often choose female partners," she felt Ginny tense a little. "Nooo, she's not looking at me in that way at all, so stop thinking it! She loves Bill!"

"Hmm, I wouldn't put it past her though!" grumbled Ginny, almost under her breath.

"Ginny, I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Fleur. She helped me so much after Bellatrix got her hands on me. She has also kept that confidence and never breathed a word about it to anyone. I can trust that she won't even tell Bill about us, of that I'm sure."

There was silence between them for a while. Hermione knew that Ginny was just trying to process what she had been told. When a secret was known by somebody else, and a secret like theirs, it often filled a mind with fear and not a little shock.

"You OK?" Hermione asked after a few moments.

"Yeah. It put me off balance a little. I'm not sure I'm ready to let people know about us yet."

"I know. I feel the same. It did feel good to be totally honest with Fleur, but I don't want anyone else to know yet either. Part of it is because, I rather like you and I having something that is just between us. Our special times together and all that."

Hermione leaned over Ginny, looking into her eyes, her own brown ones displaying both a sign of desire and a twinkle of mischief.

"Now, Ginny Weasley, I believe I promised to ravish you, when you got back tonight?"

"Yes please," Ginny answered, pulling Hermione down for a passionate kiss and the beginning of Hermione rendering Ginny a little speechless for a time afterwards.

_Absence really _did _make the heart grow fonder amongst other things_, Hermione thought wryly.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Aren't you two up yet?"

Hermione and Ginny awoke with a start, their hearts jumping out of their chests and hitting the ceiling, before returning to their jolted bodies, which at that moment were entangled; legs, arms and with a decidedly apparent lack of clothing.

"Bugger!" Ginny swore as she nearly jumped out of bed, then scrabbled around to slip on a T'Shirt and shorts and dived for her own bed.

"Harry will be here soon!" Mrs. Weasley called again, as she arrived just outside their door. There was a knock and the handle was turned, but the locking spell held solid.

"Shit! The spells?" Hermione realized, wondering where she had put her wand as she had quickly donned some sleepwear too.

Ginny reached her own wand first and quickly took off the spell.

"You can come in now, Mum!" the redhead called.

Hermione thought that sounded really odd and suspicious. _Yes, you can come in now, we've stopped fondling each other's boobs_, she thought. There again when you had a secret and were trying to keep every aspect of it hidden, then paranoia about every sentence was probably normal.

Mrs. Weasley walked in to the room looking a little confused, and giving the door an inspection too, as if she could find an explanation with it.

"Why was the door locked?" she asked her daughter.

"Hermione...she, well she felt safer last night with it locked, that's all," Ginny said convincingly and in a very normal voice.

"Ah, I see," the older woman looked over to Hermione. As it turned out Hermione was looking a bit pale, due to the shock and sudden cover-up needed for the situation now, so it looked like she was tired and a bit strained.

"I'm alright now. It was really silly of me, but last night I just felt a bit odd about everything," Hermione said genuinely sheepishly."I'm sorry if we alarmed you, when you couldn't get in." _I'm sorry I was ravishing you daughter last night_, she thought, very mischievously.

"It's quite alright, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, looking convinced. Hermione was inwardly sighing with relief. "Anyway, you'd better get up and dressed as Harry should be here soon and the lad has been so busy lately I would hate to make him wait too long."

After her mother had left, Ginny looked over at Hermione grinning from ear to ear and making a 'phew' sign, by dragging her hand across her forehead swiping away imaginary sweat.

XXXXXXXXX

Ron had already left earlier in the morning and Hermione and Ginny were finishing up breakfast when Harry walked through the door. Mrs. Weasley gave him her customary hug and directed him to the table, and set a mug of tea in front of him.

"Morning, Harry," Hermione greeted him.

"How ya doing, Hermione?" he asked.

"I'm alright, all things considered."

"And Ginny? Great win Saturday!" Harry said. He looked at his ex-girlfriend with a soft, warm expression and with a definite tinge of wistfulness.

Mrs. Weasley was watching the interactions between Harry and her daughter. She was no doubt harbouring a small hope they would get back together. They made such a stunning couple together and any children they had would be gorgeous, she was sure of it. Hermione tried not to think on that too much as she observed her.

"How are you, Harry?" the redhead asked him.

"Fine. Same old, same old," he smiled.

"How's things at the Ministry?" Hermione asked him.

"It's why I'm here, actually."

_Ut-oh that doesn't bode well_, Hermione thought with a touch of uneasiness.

"I'm sorry I have to ask this, but Hermione, it's about your...case, your ordeal," Harry said, really hating to have to say more.

"Felgate is dead, what more could there be to report on it?" Hermione asked a little fearful.

"Well, we've worked on the whole case and have been able to link his movements and other crimes to the other people we arrested from within the Ministry and the couple from outside," he took his glasses off to polish them, obviously stalling.

"And?" asked an agitated Hermione.

"I hate to ask, but we would like you to come to the Court, to give a statement, maybe answer some basic questions."

"Out of the question!" Mrs. Weasley jumped in, before Hermione could answer. "Hasn't she been through enough?"

"I know. I know," Harry said, feeling like a fox in the henhouse. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking of what to say next.

"Why do you need me to appear? As we said, Felgate's dead? He's beyond prosecution?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, you can't honestly be thinking..."

"I don't know what I'm thinking, but I'd like to know more about it?" the brunette said, cutting off another sentence of protest from Mrs. Weasley.

"The people we arrested in the Ministry were responsible for Felgate's escape. They knew who he was and what he was and probably what his list of 'bloody ghastly things to do next' was. Essentially they are as responsible for what happened to you as much as Felgate is himself," Harry said carefully.

"But, if you know these people and know, with proof, that they helped that Death Eater to escape, then I don't see why you need me? They're guilty, obviously so?" Hermione asked.

"Yes and no. We want to put these people in Azkaban for a long, long time, but on a charge of helping an arrested person escape they can use all kinds of loopholes and ways to get a very short sentence. If however, we present you, we can nail the gits properly."

"Why does Hermione have to appear? Couldn't you just read out the case or a written statement?" Ginny asked concerned.

"Hermione is known to the Ministry, and known to the magical world, for obvious reasons. She's respected beyond doubt. To appear in person would be such a strong action. And there is also another...well...side to it."

"What?" asked a now tense Hermione.

"We know _roughly_ what happened to you. Anyone could work it out from the state you were in when we found you. But...you haven't given a detailed statement..."

"HARRY! You can't mean to drag that poor girl in front of the Court and make her...make her relive everything, surely?" Mrs. Weasley asked in horror.

"I'm sorry, but that's essentially what I'm asking."

He looked at all three women; the two Weasley women looked like they were imagining prodding him with red hot pokers, where as Hermione looked a bit lost in thought.

A long silence ensued. Hermione had never considered that making a statement or appearing in Court was an option, she simply thought her injuries were obvious, as was the guilt of Felgate. The Ministry had arrested his helpful 'friends' and had linked them with Felgate and probably had use of Morty's memories too to ram home the seriousness of the results of their actions... _or did they?_

"Harry? Have you talked to Morty about any of this?" Hermione suddenly broke the silence, aware that all three other heads jerked in her direction.

"Yes, I have. It's part of my problem...kind of," Harry said a touch cryptically.

"He won't speak to you? What?" Hermione asked. "Look Harry, I need to know everything here, if I'm to even think about what you're asking me."

"It's difficult to know what to say and how to say it," the black-haired man said apologetically.

"Harry, just be honest with me. It's all I ask; the truth?" She swallowed down her own guilt about herself and Ginny and their dishonesty regarding it.

Harry drank some of his tea and sat back, seeming to physically set himself and resign himself to plod onwards.

"I've talked to Morty...he's quite the revelation thanks to you Hermione," he smiled at her and she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he said he would be willing to offer more memories, as he says he was present with you for most of your time...at that place."

He paused, drank a little more tea and continued talking to his audience, which consisted of two pissed off Weasley women and an impatient brunette.

"The problem is, those memories come from a house elf, and despite your efforts people are still slow to take any evidence an elf gives or says as being the total truth. They consider them unreliable and open to imagination. However, if you were to appear and confirm those...memories, actions, then it would be a solid case and water-tight," he opened his hands, signalling that he had finished his explanation.

"No way Harry! What on earth are you thinking?" Ginny said furiously.

"It's unreasonable! It could damage Hermione, and give her a breakdown. I won't stand for it!" Mrs. Weasley said in a fierce tirade.

"The memories themselves, the images Morty saw, wouldn't be seen in the court or have open access to just anyone. Our best pensieve interpreters, including myself would write a detailed and thorough report on the new memories that Morty gives us, overseen by Shacklebolt. You would basically just have to confirm those..."

"It's a ridiculous thing to ask! I can't believe this is even being suggested?" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Harry, do you even care what it might do to her?" Ginny added, making Harry open his mouth aghast that anyone would suggest he would harm one of his oldest and best friends.

"I'll do it," a quiet, yet strong, voice said.

The room went silent, with all heads turning towards Hermione, almost in slow motion. Ginny was wearing a serious frown. Mrs. Weasley was red in the face.

"But..?"

"Absolutely not! I will not allow..."

"I'll do it!" Hermione said much louder. "I have to face things eventually, at least this way I get to put away some evil gits and stop them from helping anymore of their psychotic friends hurt anyone else."

Ginny looked at her with amazement, pride and love. Mrs. Weasley's eyes had filled with tears and Harry got hold of one of her hands, giving her a look of utter respect and love too.

"I'll help you to prepare," Harry said. "And I'll make sure you have everything you need."

"She'll have us too," Mrs. Weasley said. "I still don't like it, one little bit, but we'll all help her."

"Harry?" Hermione paused thinking through what she was going to say. "Why can't you use some of my own memories as evidence? Admittedly I was half conscious a lot and closed my eyes a lot too, so it might not be the best of visuals...but they might be of use?"

"It's not that I _can't_ use them Hermione," Harry sighed. "I couldn't _bear_ to ask you. And even with you offering, I'm not sure I want to ask you to do it."

"I look at it this way Harry, I'm going to have everything stirred up and brought to the front of my mind anyway, it can't hurt to use those blasted memories for some good?"

"Are you sure?" asked an uncertain Harry.

"No, not really. There again, I'm not sure about a lot of things these days, but I'm prepared to give it a try," Hermione said, almost sitting up straighter in her attempt to feel strong and adamant in her choices.

"OK, we can do that. But you decide what you want to give," Harry smiled at her.

The two Weasley women had gone silent and were staring at Hermione, wondering where she found the strength and courage. Neither were surprised, exactly, but were in awe all the same.

"There's one other thing?" Harry said.

"Yes?" Hermione asked, feeling somewhat tired.

"Morty wants you present when we extract the new memories from him," Harry replied.

Hermione was surprised; part of her was dreading facing the elf in relation to her ordeal again, the other part of her actually felt touched that the elf seemed to respect her, and maybe even trust her.

"Alright. It seems fair. And it might be easier to extract the type of memories you need if I'm there too."

Harry squeezed her hand. "Thank you," he said. "We're hoping to get things pushed through to the Court for Wednesday, next week."

"Bloody hell, Harry! That's hardly any time to think?" Ginny exclaimed.

"So soon?" Mrs. Weasley gasped. Both women had leaped back to life.

"I'm OK with it," Hermione said, looking at the other three in turn. "It's probably better that I don't have too long to think on it," she shrugged her shoulders. "I can get it over and done with, the sooner the better."

"Are you sure? You don't have to do this Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley almost pleaded.

"Yes, I'm sure," the brunette stated more calmly than she felt. "It would be worse in the muggle world. Some cases there take a couple of years to get to court. No, this is much better this way."

"I've got some papers and things for you to read through, so you know how the Ministry courts work. I'm sure you know about them, but it doesn't hurt to get refreshed on the basics They're not all that different to muggle courts really," Harry smiled warmly at his friend. " It might help to know that if you appear, that you would be only before the Court, none of the defendants will be present when you are there. As it turns out I don't think you worked with any of the defendants and wouldn't have known them, so it might not have mattered, but if they're not there, it's much less intimidating for you," Harry explained as he pulled out some papers he had in a leather documents bag he had brought with him.

"Harry, if Luna was developing a skill for finding Death Eaters, why did she never find those in the Ministry?" asked Hermione.

"Firstly only one has the dark mark, they were almost like freelance baddies attached to Voldemort and some Death Eater friends, and secondly we thought the new reformed Ministry was clean so we never looked within our own ranks," explained Harry.

"When do we see Morty?" asked Hermione, having mulled over the impossibility of never knowing exactly where every bad guy was or what any one person really believed.

"I was hoping for tomorrow. It would give us maximum time to write up the reports."

"Alright. Where?"

"Would you be OK to go to Andromeda's? Morty seems settled there and I know Andromeda would like to see you."

Hermione sighed, thinking it would be her first time out of the comfort zone of Weasley residences, but she also knew she had to get used to it sooner rather than later, if she was ever going to survive appearing at the Ministry Court.

"Yeah, that would be fine."

"I'll come round tomorrow morning and collect you," said Harry giving her a look of encouragement.

Harry drank the rest of his tea before leaving. It seemed he had all kinds of work he had to get through. Hermione was sure that he didn't have to be involved with cases like these, but because it was close to him, he had decided to almost take charge of some of the elements; and for that, Hermione was glad.

Now everything had been decided and the ball was beginning to roll on the whole plan, Mrs. Weasley seemed to have accepted it, although Hermione suspected she was having problems acknowledging it on all levels as she suddenly decided to have a massive baking session. When the woman was stressed she either knitted profusely or baked.

Ginny still looked very concerned and Hermione said she was going for a walk and would Ginny like to accompany her; the redhead, of course, agreed.

They walked as far as the picnic and quidditch place and sat in comfy chairs.

"You can back out, you know, you don't have to do it. Harry would understand?" Ginny told her. "And if he doesn't then I'll MAKE him understand," she continued fiercely.

Hermione smiled at her. "I realized as we sat in there and he told me about it, that I think this is something I need to do. It won't be easy, it won't be fun or pleasant in any way, but I think it will help me," Hermione sighed. "Despite what your mother fears, I don't believe it will make me worse."

Ginny rose from her seat, and knelt in front of Hermione, taking her hands and kissing them.

"Hermione Granger, I love you. You're a marvellous woman," seeing Hermione flick her eyes, brushing off the comment, Ginny continued. "I mean it. You are an incredible woman. I'm sorry I was so blind to you for so long. But I want you to know, I'm here for the long term. I want to be with you, no one else."

"Even if your girlfriend is in all probability, a nutcase?" Hermione said with beguilement.

"Don't say that about yourself," Ginny said seriously, then broke into a grin. "Even if you were a nutjob, which you aren't, I'd still stay with you, I'd even share your bed at St. Mungo's!"

Hermione had a fit of laughing, and leant forward, throwing her arms around Ginny's neck. She pulled back and after quickly looking around to check they were unobserved, she placed a soft kiss onto Ginny's delectably soft lips.

"One day at a time," Hermione said. "That's all I can do; take one day at a time and see what happens."


	24. Chapter 24

24

As the next morning arrived Ginny was almost more nervous than Hermione. She said she would miss training and go with her, but Hermione told her that she wouldn't be responsible for Ginny getting dropped on Saturday, or knowing that she was the reason behind the Harpies' fans missing seeing one of their star players.

They had breakfast and went back upstairs for both of them to get ready for their day. Ginny hugged her girlfriend tightly and gently kissed her, almost trying to transfer some of her strength to the brunette for the day.

"I meant what I said about Harry. If he pushes you or goes about things in a meat-headed way I'll make him pay, painfully!" Ginny said, eyes fierce.

"I'm sure it will be alright. I just want to get this part out of the way," Hermione hugged Ginny. "Now get going, or you'll be late!"

"Yes _Mum_!" Ginny said impudently. "See you tonight. I love you".

Hermione didn't feel too nervous if she was honest, but she did have that feeling of virtually gritting her teeth and waiting for something inevitable to happen. A feeling like preparing to pull off a muggle sticky elastoplast from a grazed knee, bracing yourself ready before actually ripping off the bandaid and just knowing you'd feel some skin rip off with it.

She straightened her clothes, brushing a couple of bits of fluff off her shirt and made her way downstairs.

Mrs. Weasley seemed to be a bit nervous for her too, doing slightly more flapping and walking about in the kitchen. Thankfully Harry was on time so she didn't have to sit around trying to make small talk, when there was so much obvious tension.

"Morning, Hermione," Harry said as he walked in through the door carrying a Ministry briefcase. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," Hermione said, slightly shrugging her shoulders.

Mrs. Weasley bustled over and hugged her. "I'll be here when you get back, dear," Which meant that she was ready if Hermione came back in a less than brilliant frame of mind.

The older woman also hugged Harry and Hermione was sure she whispered something in his ear, because she heard a faint hushed sound and Harry's eyes briefly widened. _I expect that was a very convincing Weasleywoman threat_, Hermione thought, trying not to laugh.

They decided that Harry would Apparate both of them to Andromeda's, as Hermione hadn't Apparated herself anywhere yet since her ordeal.

As they arrived outside the Tonks residence, Hermione shook her head, and took a few deep breaths. Harry looked concerned at her, probably thinking it was nerves.

"I'm alright...just the Apparating; never good for the passenger," she grinned. Harry understood that feeling well.

Andromeda's house was modest, but had that homely, lived-in and comfortable feel to it. They opened the back door, as they were expected, and walked through to the living room. There was Morty sitting on the floor with Teddy Lupin, apparently playing a game of putting objects on a tray, covering the tray and then removing an item and getting Teddy to remember everything. It was incredibly cute but also extremely weird.

The house elf looked up as they walked further into the room. He nearly jumped out of his skin, and leapt to his feet.

"I go get mistress," he said before scurrying off up the stairs.

Hermione didn't feel anything in particular when she set eyes on the elf again and for that she was relieved, it would make the next parts easier to deal with.

In seconds, Andromeda appeared with Morty following. It was always hard for Hermione to see the woman and think how much she looked like Bellatrix and at the same time think of the woman she was and how much she had lost.

"Hermione!" Andromeda said happily as she walked over and embraced her. "It's so good to see you. I wish it wasn't in these circumstances, but I'm so pleased to see you."

Teddy had turned around and beamed up at Harry. His normal brown hair turning blue, almost like a greeting all in itself. Hermione couldn't stop a giggle escaping.

"I know, isn't it sweet?" Andromeda said. "I wonder as he grows up whether he'll have a colour for each person to greet them with? It would be preferable to the animal faces Nymphadora insisted on producing!"

Hermione felt her heart drop slightly, and felt so sad that Tonks would never see this and never know what a terrific little boy her son was. She tried to tuck that feeling away, which was hard, with the photos of Tonks around the house, where the lively young woman was waving frantically or running in and out of the photos, but she had to try and concentrate today and not let her emotions get swayed by too much external distraction.

"I'm sure you would like to get started with your...work. I thought the spare bedroom upstairs would be ideal and away from...," Andromeda lowered her voice. "Away from little ears."

"Thank you. I'm sorry we had to descend on your house like this. But I really appreciate it," Harry said, touching Andromeda's shoulder.

"Not at all. I like to feel useful. One doesn't get much time to be involved with anything, when caring for a young child," Andromeda smiled down at Teddy. "If you need anything, give me a shout."

Harry and Hermione walked up stairs with Morty following. The elf was a little sluggish, which was understandable.

In the spare bedroom they found a single bed and a couple of chairs. Harry and Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, side by side and asked Morty to sit on a chair in front of them.

"How do you like it here?" Hermione was interested to know for herself.

"It's a good house, good mistress."

"I hear you like Teddy very much?"

The elf had a faint colouring to his cheeks which was probably classed as a blush in the elf world.

"Nice little boy, very clever," Morty said, unable to stop the obvious pride he held for the boy.

"OK, you know what we want to do today?" Harry asked the elf, who nodded slowly. "That we need to extract some memories from you?"

"What you're doing, Morty, will help us so much. Thank you," Hermione said.

The elf blinked at her, still getting used to people being polite to him. He then looked down and had a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Will you put a spell on Morty, like before?"

"No, not unless you want us to?" The elf shook his head. "I only did that before...because it was necessary. If you're willing to help us then we don't need to."

That train of thought had given Hermione a brief, almost flashback vision of that first meeting with the elf at the Ministry. All of it, _before_, the horrors...she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again as if clearing her vision along with her thoughts.

"Right, you were present with Hermione most of the time Felgate was...hurting her?" Harry asked the elf, having to think carefully on his words.

The elf nodded again. "I was there most of the time. A lot of times when she slept too."

Hermione audibly took a deep breath. "Harry will extract your memories and place them into little vials. I will be here the whole time to watch," she moved her neck slightly as if it were stiff.

"The memories we would like from you, are all the ones where Felgate...," Hermione had trouble continuing for a second. Harry dropped his hand between them and took her hand in his. "The memories where Felgate used his knife on me, when he physically hurt me. Where blood was drawn or he did something that you would do to an enemy, not a friend. Do you understand what we're asking?"

"Morty understands. I know exact memories you need."

"Good. I need you to bring forward each one in your mind, in turn, and then I can extract them," Harry said.

The elf nodded again, and over the next fifteen to twenty minutes they worked with the elf and filled several vials with memories.

"That is all memories with knife, blood and hurting," the elf said, sounding quite tired.

"Thank you," Harry said, placing the last vial into his briefcase.

"I don't know though...," the elf said.

"You don't know what?" Hermione asked gently.

"I have another memory. Don't know if is a correct one or not, so didn't bring it forward." the elf looked to both Hermione and Harry.

"Which memory are you uncertain about? If you tell us what it is, we can decide if it's what we need or not, OK?" Harry asked.

The elf looked back to Hermione. "It was the last day. Before Morty betrayed...master...and you were rescued."

"Yes?" Harry inquired.

"Where master...he...moved your clothing and flattened you on the floor. Husbands and wives do it all the time in true pureblood families, but this looked like hurting, but no knife or blood, so Morty not sure about it?"

Harry slowly turned his head to look at Hermione. He reached for her hand again. He knew exactly was that was about. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"Hermione?" he almost whispered. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"No one knew, except Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. It's not something you like to broadcast around," she sighed deeply and made her mind up. "Look, collect the memory, as mine won't be as clear."

Harry leaned forward again and extracted that last terrible memory from the elf.

"Thank you Morty, you've been such a great help to us," Harry said. "We'll leave you in peace now. You might need to rest a little today, having so many memories extracted can be very tiring."

"Morty will be fine. I have jobs to do."

Harry closed his briefcase and then held out his hand to shake hands with the elf. Morty looked at it, never getting used to the idea of a witch or wizard being polite enough to him to treat him as an equal. He had to remind himself again of seeing wizards greeting each other with their hands, and he did awkwardly reach out and shake Harry's hand. Hermione also did so and actually received a small bow from the elf.

_My life is just plain weird, I'm going to stop trying to figure it out for a while_, she thought to herself.

As they walked onto the landing and the elf had passed them and gone back downstairs, Harry looked at Hermione again with an expression of regret, pain, deep pity and respect.

"Harry, don't look at me like that. Please don't."

"If we had found you earlier. If I had managed to work on your message at your flat...if I had..."

"'What ifs' are worth nothing, Harry, and only make things worse," Hermione talked over him. "It happened, we can't change that. I'm alive and that's what matters," she managed a smile for him. "And hopefully we can do something about the people involved with Felgate. I'll take any small victory."

They went back downstairs and had a cup of tea with Andromeda, which did help to calm the tension that had built up inside Hermione. With Teddy up and down the whole time insisting on showing Harry and herself every toy he owned and every picture he had drawn, it was hard to feel down or serious for long. Morty was in the background, putting all the toys back into place after Teddy had shown them off.

The pair said their goodbyes and walked out the back door again, ready to Apparate back to the Burrow. Hermione felt a sense of achievement; she had survived this part, and despite the secret of her rape getting to Harry's ears, she was pleased with herself and how she had conducted herself.

Hermione held Harry's hand and within moments they stood back in the yard at the Burrow. Harry began to walk towards the house, but Hermione hadn't moved.

"You OK, Hermione?" he asked.

"When have you planned to take the memories from me?"

"I thought maybe in a couple of days, Thursday perhaps?"

"What about this afternoon?" Hermione asked.

The brunette felt good and she felt strong, a lot stronger than she thought and a part of her was desperate to complete her memory extraction sooner rather than later, in case her positive feeling deserted her.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? I suggested it, so of course I'm sure!"

"I'll need to get some more vials," Harry replied. "But, alright. I'll need you to sign a couple of forms, for my report on this mornings events first. Then I'll go back to the Ministry and return here this afternoon."

"That's fine with me," Hermione said.

They walked into the Weasley's kitchen; Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the table flicking through an issue of Witch Weekly and not looking like she was really paying much attention to the pages she turned. She looked up and stood up as soon as the door opened.

"You're back?" she said.

"Um, yes, we weren't going to move in with Andromeda, you know?" Harry laughed.

"Oh...you!" Mrs. Weasley playfully ruffled his hair, as if he were a cheeky schoolboy. "You know what I meant. I wasn't expecting you back so soon. Any problems?"

"No. The elf was very helpful and we got straight to work," Harry answered.

"How are you, Hermione?" the older woman asked.

"Fine. Glad to get it out of the way," she brushed off lightly.

Harry produced the two papers Hermione needed to sign, then he put them back into the briefcase and walked to the door again.

"I'll see you this afternoon, Hermione," he said as he left.

"Harry's coming round this afternoon?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Hermione sat on a chair at the table and leaned on her elbows.

"Yeah. He's going to collect my memories this afternoon," the brunette said, half waiting for Mrs. Weasley to protest.

"Today? What...after this morning's adventure?"

"I feel pretty good about it all and I think I just want to get it over with. I don't want to give myself too much time to change my mind or stew on it waiting."

Hermione laid her head on her arms, feeling a little tired. Mrs. Weasley sat next to her and placed a supportive motherly hand on her arm.

"Would you be with me, when it's done?" Hermione asked, wishing she didn't sound so sappy. "I'm expecting a touch of exhaustion, mostly, but I'm not really sure how it will affect me."

"Of course I will, dear."

"I trust Harry, but it's a little difficult," said Hermione flatly. "He _knows_."

"He knows?"

"Morty was there when Felgate...you know...and he offered the memory to Harry, not knowing if it was what we wanted or not, I agreed to it."

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed with realization. "Do you regret that decision now?"

"Harry found out anyway, whether he took the memory or not. I just think it might be shocking enough to hammer home the case more; rape...rape always does, and to have visual evidence would be pretty damning. It would really be saying, 'look what their actions caused. It allowed _this_ to happen,'" Hermione went silent again.

"It's a tough choice you're making to declare this," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I know, believe me, I know. Harry has already started looking at me differently since he found out. He doesn't know whether to feel anger or pity. But I think this is something I need to do. Face those demons and try to throttle some sense of control back in my favour...oh listen to me babbling. It probably all sounds like nonsense to you?"

"No, I understand," the older woman said. "I'm still not sure I agree with you doing this, but I understand. I'm just worried about you."

"I know you are. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. Depending what happens this next week or so, I might be more of a burden to you again."

"You're not a burden Hermione! Don't ever think it. This house has been wonderful with you living in it. You know what I'm like, I can never have enough family around," Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"There's something else I want to ask of you, or possibly Bill or someone," Hermione sighed.

"We'll try to help if we can. What is it?"

"I can't bear the thought of going back to my flat. I'm not sure I could ever be happy there again. All I can think of is going to answer that door...and...," the brunette tailed off before continuing. "I'll need some help to move out. I don't mean I expect to live here at the Burrow forever...so don't worry about that. But I can't face walking into that place again."

Mrs. Weasley put an arm around her shoulders this time.

"No problem. I'll get Bill, Arthur and Ron to help. And you're welcome to stay here as long as you want to, and I'm not just saying that to be nice," she smiled.

"Thank you." Hermione said. "I loved my little flat, but it's been ruined. You won't have to worry about all my stuff sitting around, I'll super downsize it magically to fit in my old Hogwarts trunk."

"That's settled then," Mrs. Weasley said. "Let's get some lunch on the go shall we. You'll need something inside you for this afternoon."

Hermione smiled at her virtually adopted mother. The Weasleys were such good, kind, generous and genuine people; she even included Ron in that thought. _Will they be the same when they learn of Ginny and I_? she thought, _no, I must not think about that now..._


	25. Chapter 25

25

The afternoon arrived and Harry with it; he had a Ministry briefcase with him again, which held the vials he was going to use to store Hermione's memories. Hermione didn't want to go through the routine of a cup of tea and small talk, she just wanted to get this out of the way.

They decided to sit in the living room, with Hermione sitting on the sofa with Mrs. Weasley at her side and Harry moving an arm chair to sit in front of her.

"I've never done this myself," Hermione said a little nervously. "But, let's just get on with with, OK?."

"It's like we told the elf this morning. Try to think of the moments, that were most...most significant; bring them forward then you can draw them out yourself or Mrs. Weasley or I can do it for you."

"I think I'll be alright to do this myself, although you might have to guide my hand to the vials," she tried to give a half grin.

She closed her eyes, as this gave her more focus to bring forward the memories she needed, almost as if she was physically flicking through the files in her mind.

She found the memory of what Felgate had said to her in her flat. Of the first punch to her head.

As she got to the first cut, she actually felt it, she grimaced and couldn't prevent a groan of pain. Mrs. Weasley immediately got old of her wandless free hand to add her support and comfort.

Hermione went through the various woundings, the more significantly sick reopenings of her first cut, the punches to the stomach and any of the conversations they had which revealed anything of use and intent. Then she came to the confusion over the 'mudblood' mark on her arm.

Perhaps it was fitting that it was last, and she knew it was coming, that she brought forth her last memory of her captivity. Of the new mark on her arm and although she was semi-conscious and had kept her eyes closed through most of it, she brought forth the moment of the rape.

She was shaking so much that Harry had to steady her wand hand to capture the memory into the vial. Hermione unbeknownst to her had tears streaming down her face, she was sweating profusely and had start to shiver as if fighting a fever. She was aware of Mrs. Weasley wrapping her arms around her.

"Is it done?" she heard the older woman ask Harry.

"Y...yes," Harry said distantly. "Is she...going to be alright?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll look after her."

"I expected her to be exhausted, but she looks like she's...like she's really ill? I don't know what to do?" Harry asked desperately.

"Harry, dear, there's nothing you can do right now. Just make sure you get those vials back to the Ministry, after all this."

Hermione was no longer really with them, she was in a kind of exhaustive semi-conscious state showing all the signs of someone fighting shock and fever.

"I need a second signature on the report, before I can..."

"Can I sign?" Mrs. Weasley asked a little impatiently. She was wanting to get Hermione to bed as soon as possible.

"Yes," Harry said as he thrust two papers in front of her. Mrs. Weasley signed her name and handed the papers back.

"I feel so bad about this," Harry continued. "I want to help."

"It's best if you leave it to me, dear, OK?" Mrs. Weasley answered. "Don't blame yourself about this. Regardless what I felt about it all, Hermione chose to do this, it was her choice, and I promised to be there for her, whatever happened."

"I don't want to leave, knowing she's like that?" he said distraught.

"Just you make all this trouble worthwhile and make those Court cases good. That's the best thing you can do to help her," said a very serious Mrs. Weasley. "Now, excuse me Harry, you'll have to let yourself out, I really want to get her to her bed."

Harry got up, seemingly dazed, and trudged out of the living room towards the kitchen and the door.

Mrs. Weasley Apparated herself and Hermione to Ginny's room. She usually didn't like using magic for everything, but this was a special case, so she had no guilt in waving her wand to prepare Hermione's bed, and changing Hermione into a sleepshirt.

"Where? Not there again? NO!" said a delirious Hermione.

"You're safe. You're at the Burrow, sweetheart," said the older woman, pressing a cold damp cloth to the younger woman's forehead and bathing her face gently. "It's just bad memories and dreams. You're safe."

Mrs. Weasley could see that Hermione was more than just exhausted from memory extraction. It was almost as if she was feeling the physical pain and fever of the moment she had been found in that dank, dark room. She knew that this whole business was likely to push her progress back mentally, but the physical effects had surprised her. It only took her a few moments to make the decision to summon a bottle of sleep potion and got Hermione to drink it. At least with her mind quiet and asleep, the girl could begin to let her body recover again.

Not long after Hermione had taken the potion, she quietened down and fell into sleep, but her body still shivered and her face was covered in a sheen of sweat. Mrs. Weasley decided to treat this condition as if there really was a physical presence of injury or illness and not just a manifestation from the mind.

As she renewed the cold cloth on the brunette's forehead she thought again of what an incredibly brave woman Hermione was; Mrs. Weasley herself, wasn't sure she could have dealt with things the way the young woman before her had.

XXXXXXXXXX

"MUM? What the bloody hell has happened to her?" Ginny said as she burst through the bedroom door.

Mrs. Weasley had sat by Hermione's bedside since the afternoon, letting her husband deal with the dinner, which he was very capable with. Ginny arrived back in the late afternoon and had asked her father where Hermione and her mother was, when he had told her, and had tried to explain briefly why, Ginny had hardly let him speak before rushing up the stairs.

"Ssh, love. Hermione needs to rest," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Rest?" Ginny said, sitting on the other side of the bed. "What happened? Did that manky sodding elf do something to her?"

"No. She asked Harry to extract her memories this afternoon," Ginny's eyebrows shot up, but her mother continued. "I didn't agree with it, but it was her choice. I expected her to be tired, but this was a bit of a surprise."

"Bloody Harry! I'll roast his arse for this!"

"Ginny, dear, it's not his fault. It's still Felgate's fault really," Mrs. Weasley paused. "Harry found out about the rape this morning when they were with the elf and Hermione said she was determined to use it as evidence. But it seems with each memory she brought forth herself, that it actually sent her body back to when we found her."

"Oh god! She had to relive that man...doing _that_ to her? All of it?" Ginny put a hand over her mouth as her mother nodded.

Ginny felt tears rolling down her cheeks, she reached out and held one of Hermione's hands. There was silence as Ginny tried to control her emotions and even her mother had a little sniffle into a tissue.

"Gin...Ginny?" a faint, voice said.

Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were distracted from their own brooding by Hermione's quiet voice. The young woman wasn't really awake, just between waking and sleeping.

"I'm here," Ginny said, squeezing the hand she was holding.

"I love you, Ginny," Hermione said.

"I love you too, Hermione." Ginny said, only then remembering that they were in front of her mother. She hoped her mother would take it as a friend's love.

Hermione moved slightly so she was nearly lying on one side towards the side of the bed Ginny was sitting on, and had her eyes only half open. She smiled weakly at the redhead.

"Kiss me, Ginny. You always make me better."

_Oh shit!, _thought Ginny. She felt her cheeks flush, and looked out of the corner of her eye and could see her mother looking in her direction, interested. She couldn't move and it felt like someone had cursed her with the _petrificus totalus _spell_. _This was ridiculous, she could play quidditch in front of a crowd of thousands, but being in front of her mother with a difficult subject like this, was much, much more frightening.

Ginny stayed absolutely rigid and knew she was probably wearing a peculiar expression on her face.

"Ginny?" her mother said.

"Y...yes Mum?"

"Well go on then."

"What? What are you asking me? Leave the room? Get some dinner?" she asked confused.

"Honestly!" Mrs. Weasley said. "I believe Hermione asked you to kiss her?"

Ginny's jaw dropped open, she felt a weird kind of cold sensation strike through her, from her throat into her chest and down her spine. A bit like the time she had been caught stealing some sweets from Ron's room when she was little, only this was ten times worse.

"W.w..what?" was all the redhead could say.

"I hardly think you need me to draw you a diagram with notes? Or do I?" her mother said.

_Wait, was the woman smiling?_

"Mum...I don't...w..what?"

"I _know_ Ginny. Of course I know."

Ginny looked to Hermione, wondering if her girlfriend had told her mother, perhaps unintentionally under the stress of the day.

"No, she didn't tell me. I'm your mother, sweetheart, I can see through you," the older woman said.

"You're not angry? Disgusted?"

"I won't lie, I was disappointed, but not disgusted. I knew you had a crush on her when you were younger. I certainly knew she always liked you, but I thought she loved you as a sister until recent weeks. With everything that's happened I could see through to the heart of the matter."

Mrs. Weasley got up and walked around the bed and put an arm around her daughter.

"I would have liked you to have married Harry and had kids with him and for Ron and Hermione to do the same. I hoped that you and Harry would gravitate back to each other somehow. But, I can see how much she cares for you and you back for her. It's very different to how you both were with Harry and Ron. I can't stand in the way of something as strong as that. I won't lose two daughters just for the sake of an old woman's perfect dreamworld. I wouldn't have chosen it for myself, but it's not about me is it?" Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter; both had tears in their eyes.

"I'm sorry we kept it from you Mum. We were so scared you would disown us or something. And the way you reacted when she and Ron split up we thought you would curse us on the spot. We haven't been together all that long," Ginny wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, as she looked at the now dozing again Hermione. "Although, she told me she's loved me for years. She did try to make it work with Ron...but she said she loved him as a brother and wouldn't hurt him, by living a lie," Ginny paused again, looking at her hand holding her girlfriend's.

"We didn't carry on behind Ron and Harry's back...so don't think that of us. We were only then trying to get together just before she was taken, after we had both split from the boys. And we've only really been together in any sense of the word after she started to get well again," she lightly squeezed Hermione's hand. "She is the _one_ Mum. I want no one else. I've never felt so happy. Even with everything and all the things we have to work through, I don't want anyone else."

"It's always been that way with your father and I," Mrs. Weasley said. She had a distant look, taking her mind back to the days when she and Arthur had got together.

"Please Mum, don't tell anyone else yet?" Ginny pleaded. "We're just not ready for it. She has been through so much, we need to keep things easier for her. And if this court business is coming up, we really don't need any leak to the press."

"Of course I won't tell anyone."

"Not even Dad?" Ginny asked.

"No, not even your dad. Take your time, dear. She's going to need you more than ever these next couple of weeks."

"Mum? Thanks."

Mrs. Weasley moved to the bedroom door, just before she left the room she turned.

"If she asks for a kiss again, don't let her down!"

"Mother?" Ginny groaned, blushing a deep shade of Weasley red.

Ginny had stayed at Hermione's bedside since she had arrived back, even having a bite of dinner in the room. It had been hard to see her girlfriend in such a traumatized state again, but already Hermione had stopped shivering and sweating, and seemed quite peaceful now.

Hermione stirred as it was approaching the time they would normally go to bed. She suddenly sat bolt upright , looking around the room, making Ginny jump.

"Shit! You scared me?" the redhead exclaimed.

"Hello to you too, Gin!" Hermione smiled, resting back again. "Sorry, I sort of woke up startled. It's very silly, but for a moment I thought I was...back..."

"You thought you were back in that awful place?" Ginny finished her sentence for her.

"Yeah. So glad that was just a dream, or whatever the hell it was?"

"You had us worried Hermione. After Harry had finished the memory thing with you, you kind of blacked out. But, it was nearly like you were the day we found you."

"I knew I would be tired, but I had no idea it would do that to me?" Hermione replied. "Oh well, at least that bit is over for now," she said stretching her arms out in front of her, yawning. "I'm so damn tired still."

Ginny moved further up the bed to sit nearer to Hermione, reaching out to hold her hand.

"I think a proper night's sleep now, will do the world of good," the redhead smiled. Hermione moved to get out of bed.

"Where are you off to?" asked Ginny.

"The 'little witches room'," said a grinning Hermione.

"Oh. Will you be OK?"

"Yes, it's just across the landing," said Hermione, mildly beguiled.

Hermione felt a little dizzy from her tiredness, as she made her way back to the bedroom, she hadn't realized how she had worried everyone. She wasn't entirely sure of what had happened, but it seemed the process of extracting her memories had caused a major physical flashback; _if that's even possible?_ It seemed everything that Felgate had done to her had left consequences beyond anyone's comprehension.

She went back through the door and saw Ginny sitting on her bed still, staring at the wall, with her thoughts so obviously far away.

Hermione trailed her hand across her girlfriend's shoulders, briefly touching her silky hair, as she moved past her and got back into bed. Ginny turned her head and looked at her, breaking into a smile.

"You looked miles away? What were you thinking about?" the brunette asked.

"Mum."

"Everything OK? I didn't hit out at her or something, did I?" a concerned Hermione wondered.

"No no, nothing like that," Ginny swallowed. "She _knows_ about us."

Hermione stared at Ginny in disbelief, a hand went to bottom of her throat as if she could feel a lump there.

"Bugger! Did I say something when I was out of it?" Hermione panicked.

"You asked me to kiss you and make you better, like I always did," Ginny told her.

"Bollocks! I'm so sorry Ginny. If I ever go loopy again put a tongue-tied curse on me in future, will you?"

"She knew anyway Hermione."

"What? How?"

"She says it's a mother thing," Ginny shook her head, exasperated. "The point is, she knew."

"And?" Hermione asked desperately. "Where's the broken china? She must have at least thrown something at you?"

"No. She says she understands, and although she would dearly have loved us to breed like bunnies with Harry and Ron, she can see how much we care for each other. She won't stand in our way," Ginny told a stunned Hermione.

Hermione tried to think of something to say, but every time she was about to open her mouth, the thought had gone again and silence continued.

"Oh, and she isn't going to tell anyone. I pleaded with her not to, but she wasn't going to anyway," Ginny added.

"Whew," Hermione finally managed to say. "I didn't expect that at all?"

"As she left the room earlier she told me," Ginny started laughing. "She told me, that if you asked for a kiss again that I shouldn't let you down!"

Hermione's eyes went wide in shock, then she couldn't help laughing too. She really thought that when Mrs. Weasley found out it would be a lot worse than when she broke up with Ron. _This truly is an amazing family_, Hermione thought.

The two women got ready for bed, and Hermione snuggled up to Ginny, feeling safe and secure again. Although Ginny's mother knew about them now, they still charmed the door locked before going to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning when Hermione awoke, she ached all over. She felt much refreshed from a night's sleep, but a little like she had been run over by the Knight Bus.

She went down to breakfast and Mrs. Weasley was giving her the once-over with her eyes and came over and tested the temperature of her forehead with the back of her hand; generally fussing over her.

"I feel OK, honestly," Hermione said a little forlornly, almost trying to back away from the scrutiny.

"The state you were in yesterday afternoon, gives me every reason to still be worried today," the older woman said.

"I'm sorry about that. I had no idea any of that would happen in that way. Thank you for looking after me again. I seem to create more work for everyone at the moment," said a slightly sad Hermione.

As Hermione sat there she found it hard to think straight, knowing that Mrs. Weasley knew about her and Ginny. It couldn't go unspoken. Luckily the three women were the only ones in the house.

"Ginny told me that you know...about us?" the brunette struggled to say, blushing profusely.

"Yes, dear," Mrs Weasley looked at her. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to leave you alone, I think I've done enough hinting and prodding previously when it was so obviously wrong."

Hermione smiled and nodded, in both gratefulness and respect.

They were finishing breakfast and Ginny had got up ready to leave for training when Harry walked in. Ginny glared at him so much, that Hermione felt sorry for him.

"Hello everyone," he said timidly.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said.

If Ginny's eyes were daggers, Harry's body would have been punctured with stab wounds. She picked up her bag and as she passed Hermione she just lightly squeezed her shoulder in farewell, before making her way to the door. She stopped, turned around, continuing to glare dangerously.

"I hope nothing _happens_ today," Ginny said firmly.

Harry knew she was mainly addressing him, but he didn't, or rather, couldn't, meet her eyes and just lightly nodded. The redhead glowered a little more, had a wink for Hermione, then was out the door and gone.

"Don't worry about her, Harry," Hermione said, trying to smooth things over.

"Don't worry? I know that look and that tone! If I had sneezed in the wrong direction she would have...well, let's just say I could sing in the choir as soprano!"

Hermione couldn't prevent herself laughing. "Sorry Harry, I shouldn't laugh," she calmed her giggles down. "So what brings you round."

"Truthfully, I wanted to see if you were OK?" he looked at her searchingly, to see if any obvious damage was present.

"I'm alright now, thanks to Mrs. Weasley," she omitted Ginny's help, as she wasn't sure she would be able to shield her feelings at this very moment.

Mrs. Weasley brought a mug of tea for Harry and sat down at the table with them.

"Is there another reason for the visit?" Mrs. Weasley asked warily.

"I wanted to tell you that we've already started work on your case and with what...you gave me yesterday. In fact we worked late, until 11pm last night," he sipped his tea. "As horrible as it all was, I want to thank you; myself and the aurors and prosecutors think this case is looking very good indeed. I just wish none of this happened."

"Well, it did, we can't change that, Harry," Hermione said to him evenly. "But it sounds like our efforts will be worth it?"

"Exactly. We would still like you to come to the Court though? Are you still willing to do that?"

"Yes. If something is worth doing, then it's worth doing properly," said a logical Hermione. "Harry? Can I have someone with me, or present in the Courtroom when I'm there? I know this will be a little different from a usual court session, so I wondered?"

The black-haired man looked up. "Of course you can have someone there. There will still be the bench for friends and family and under certain circumstances, which I believe counts yourself, you can have someone with you at your side while you're seated before the Court."

Hermione looked visibly relieved, she hated the idea of being in that dark, cold, courtroom, with all those witches and wizards peering down their curious noses at her as if she were some new magical creature they had to identify. She then looked at Mrs. Weasley.

"Would you...be there with me?" she asked the older woman.

Mrs. Weasley patted her hand in support. "You don't have to ask. I would have insisted to be there whatever happened, dear."

Hermione smiled at her and nodded her thanks. She wasn't sure what to think of Ginny. On the one hand she wanted her there to give her strength and on the other she wanted to hide all the tension and grief from her, knowing that the details of the case would riall up her famous Weasley temper. She would let Ginny decide for herself.

"So is there anything else I need to know?" the brunette asked, truly hoping there were no more surprises to be pulled out.

"That's about it Hermione. We're doing all the grafting, we'll just ask a few questions in the Court and that should be about it." he set down his mug of tea.

"Is it confirmed as Wednesday next week?"

"I didn't tell you?" Harry lightly slapped his own forehead. "I'm meant to send an owl last night. I'm a right pillock sometimes. It's next Monday. Is that alright? It's just I figured you wanted it over with sooner rather than later and that day became free?"

Hermione felt a little tightness in her chest from the even closer arrival of the day, but Harry was right, she did want to get it all over with as soon as possible.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: This update includes ****Chapters 26, 27, 28 & 29.**** This 4-chapter arc is called "Facing It."**

**I hope I'm not going too slowly or boringly for everyone. I just like working through everything with two of my favourite characters and creating ends that do get tied up later. ;) A couple of scenes are actually for my own gratuitous Hermione/Ginny-loving self. :) The chapters that follow this arc, will begin to weave a bit more of the larger Potter world into them...characters, places and events etc. **

**WARNING:**** Adult content within these 4 chapters.**

26

The next few days seemed to be filled with normality, or as normal as things got for Hermione these days. Ginny was backwards and forwards to training as usual, and nights were spent cuddled up together, after their usual loving and closeness.

However, everyone was aware of what the following Monday would be. On the surface everyone acted as they always did, but a person could sense that there was something brewing. It was a feeling like throwing a stone into a pond, when the pond went still and no more ripples were seen, it looked calm and normal, but everyone knew that the stone was still under the surface.

Ginny left on Friday as usual for her match weekend. She was away at the Wimborne Wasps. Hermione would have loved for that weekend to be her first match attendance, but in the wizarding world, too many people knew what Monday would bring and she really didn't want more attention than she had to.

So Saturday Hermione had to be content with a _girls afternoon_ with Mrs. Weasley again. Every time the radio reports went over to the match, there had been a foul. Hermione didn't unduly worry about Ginny, because she knew the woman could more than take care of herself, but on principle she didn't like the thought of someone fouling _her_ girlfriend.

Fouls or no fouls, the Harpies won yet again. The Wasps were unable to get a single point on the scoreboard, which was a resounding performance by the whole Harpies team. Hermione felt a glow of pride that Ginny and the team were doing so well. Of course she then briefly had a flash of that fantasy of hers, greeting Ginny in the changing rooms later. _Oh for goodness sake, pull your pants up Hermione!_ she thought to herself amused.

The time seemed to drag until Sunday evening and when Ginny would be back at the Burrow. Hermione had gone for a walk and hadn't realized that she had been circling around and around the Burrow like a hamster on a wheel.

Once Ginny had arrived back and they had dinner, Hermione was almost counting down the seconds and minutes before she could talk with her in private. She had realized that she hadn't so far asked Ginny what she was going to do tomorrow.

Finally they found themselves in each others arms.

"Ginny?" Hermione began. "Are you coming to the Court tomorrow?"

"I would like to be there. I know Mum is going to be at your side," she said as she played with a strand of Hermione's hair. "I think it's only right too. I'd probably threaten someone if I was actually down there with you."

Hermione smiled. "But you'll sit on the family bench?"

"Yes. If you're OK with me there?"

"I didn't ask before, because I don't want you to think that you have to be there. It's lucky that it's a Monday and you wouldn't have to take time off. But it's still your choice, Gin?" Hermione explained.

"I want to be where you are. I want you to know I'm there and thinking only of you and how much I love you."

Hermione raised her head and kissed her girlfriend softly, showing her the love and gratefulness she felt. _Of course I want Ginny there, temper or no temper_, she thought, a little annoyed with herself for ever thinking of her not attending.

"Are you feeling alright? Are you nervous, Hermione?"

"I'm fine at the moment. I suppose there's a few nerves, but I just want to get into it and get it done," admitted Hermione. Ginny held her a little tighter to her.

After a few more loving and calming kisses, Hermione took her sleep potion and got into one of her favourite sleeping positions, her body draped over her girlfriend's with an arm around her waist.

XXXXXXXXXX

Monday, the day Hermione had both been dreading and yet wanting to get to as well.

She woke up, and snuggled a little closer to Ginny, resting her head on the redhead's chest, just trying to clear her mind of everything. Her girlfriend stirred, stretching her long legs.

"Morning beautiful," Ginny said, kissing the top of Hermione's head. Hermione raised herself up and leaned in to place a brief kiss to Ginny's lips.

"I'm going to get showered," Hermione said, making her mind up to start her day.

"Feeling edgy?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure what I feel right now. A bit confused all round about it," Hermione ran a hand through her hair, absent mindedly working out a knot. "I don't know whether to wish I didn't have to go, or wish I could get there sooner."

Hermione was deep in thought as she went to get showered, got dressed, then made her way down to breakfast. She was wearing a navy shirt and black trousers, making an effort to look smart. As she entered the kitchen she noticed one thing about herself, a lack of appetite, and she assumed that must be a sign of nerves.

Mrs. Weasley was trying hard to act like the day was totally normal, even though she seemed to be banging around in the kitchen a lot and was seemingly clumsy this morning.

"I'm OK," Hermione said to her. "You don't have to act differently around me."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, but still looked flustered. Hermione had a slice of toast, she couldn't even taste it, but it was better than a totally empty stomach.

"So, who is going to be there today? Family and friends I mean?" Hermione asked.

"Ginny and I of course, Arthur, George, Bill and Fleur..."

"Fleur managed to get some time off?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, she said she wanted to be there for you, very sweet of her," Mrs. Weasley said, looking at her hands as she counted people off. "Harry and Ron will be around the court as they are involved with different aspects of that case. Luna, unfortunately, can't be there as she's already working on another assignment."

"Hmm, quite a full bench, then?" Hermione said, not sure she was ready to be in front of everyone close to her, however much she was grateful for their support.

"We want to be there for you. And whatever the outcome is, we'll be here for you when it's over," the older woman smiled.

Ginny soon appeared for breakfast too. Hermione became intensely aware of the scent of Ginny, something like a rose; she always loved how a freshly showered Ginny smelt. _Hell, I like her scent whatever she's doing_, she thought, _oops, now that's a dangerous thing to be thinking of_.

The Court was expecting Hermione mid-morning and it was surprising how the time flew by. Mr. Weasley walked in and told them that they would be driven in a Ministry car, which was a little daunting, but also very helpful.

Hermione sat on her bed, deep in thought, contemplating leaving the house to whatever awaited her. Ginny walked in, but she didn't look up.

"We're ready to go now," Ginny walked up to her and put her hands on her shoulders, brushing back her hair.

The brunette looked up to her; her jaw was set in determination, but her eyes betrayed a vulnerability.

"Right. Let's get this over with then," Hermione said standing. She hugged Ginny and brushed her lips against hers.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was only Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and herself in the Ministry car, as Bill and Fleur were making their own way there, as was George, and Harry and Ron would have been there early. Not much was said on the ride there, just every day observations, and an attempt to keep the conversation light.

Hermione was in a slight daze as they made their way down to the Courtroom and to the hallway outside. They had arrived with fifteen minutes to spare.

Arthur and Ginny went into the Court to find their seat, while Mrs. Weasley, as her escort, stayed with her in the hallway. Harry came through the Courtroom door and walked over to them.

"Hi," he said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Harry."

"You're due in soon. The proceedings have gone very well for us, I think you will essentially nail down an already sealed coffin...so to speak."

"You might have to nail down _my_ coffin after this," Hermione mumbled out.

Harry and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other with an uncertain expression.

"It should all be fairly simple," Harry quickly moved on to explain the order of things. "The prosecution and the defence have had access to the reports on the memories. Yours confirm the house elf's, which are pretty damning, and I can tell the Court have already decided. Anyway you'll be asked some questions from the defence, but that's just formality also. They had so much trouble finding anyone to represent the defendants, because they all know they stand no chance of lifting a heavy sentence. I'd not met their defence bloke before today, but I can't imagine anyone with a shred of brains can see any way out of this for their clients, especially with what you have to add. Remember, we're here to prove what happened as a result of their actions, in helping Felgate escape. Your ordeal was a consequence of their choices."

Hermione nodded, trying to take it in, aware that she was now taking quite deliberate breaths, trying to control her pulse rate.

The Courtroom door opened again and Ron popped his head around it.

"It's time." He looked at Hermione with a warm, cheerful expression, but his eyes betrayed sadness.

Mrs. Weasley automatically linked her arm through Hermione's but it was debatable whether this was to help Hermione feel calm or to help herself to feel calm. As they passed Ron, he reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder.

"We're all here for you, Hermione," he said quietly.

They walked into the Courtroom, Harry leading them to the seat in the middle of the room. Hermione tried not to look anywhere except in front of her; she could feel all the heads turn her way and everyone's eyes watching her every move. There was a rustling of movement, robes, papers, whispers.

She sat down in the chair, which was hard and uncomfortable. Harry brought up another chair for Mrs. Weasley to sit beside her.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister himself was presiding over the case. Although a close acquaintance of Hermione, his integrity was never in question. He gave the faintest of nods of greeting towards her. A hush descended once more over the room as the Minister stood up to speak.

"Hermione Granger is here, kindly accepting our request for her to give evidence in this case. Both sides have had access to the pensieve reports, you are aware of what those hold. She does not have to be here, so please respect her, as she has respected us."

Hermione felt her heart fluttering, she glanced to her left side trying to find the family benches. They were on her right however, and as she briefly found them she saw Ginny look at her with those fierce eyes of hers as she lightly pressed her hand to her own heart. Hermione couldn't dwell on that as they were straight into questions from the prosecution, asked by a seemingly elderly grey-haired wizard in a maroon robe. He had a short, trimmed beard and looked like a smart man, both intellectually and physically.

The first few questions were just the mandatory background inquiries; making it clear to everyone present just who she was, the fact she had never seen Felgate or his house elf before she interviewed the elf. _Interviewed? That's an interesting way to put it?_ she thought.

There were then some questions about not knowing where she was taken, that she was chained, of which said chains were almost certainly enchanted to prevent her escape.

The prosecution asked her, quite politely and sensitively, about her wounds. As she spoke of the wound Felgate continually kept splitting open again, she could hear hushed gasps of horror.

She was asked about her work with house elves, and how she had worked on Morty and gained a certain amount of trust with him.

When she reached the questions about Felgate becoming obessed with marking her, she felt her heart rate quicken.

"You were already marked by a Death Eater?" the grey-haired wizard asked.

"Yes, towards the end of the War," she answered "By Bellatrix Lestrange."

There were a few rustles and hissing whispers erupting around the room. Not many people knew about that, and that particular name being uttered anywhere was enough to cause gasps and hands put to mouthes. Aware of where they all were, the room was silent again.

"And you believe he was not in his right mind, when he found out?"

"Yes. He seemed deeply disturbed about it; like he expected Bellatrix to show up and demand back her possession; which would be me," Hermione said.

"So, at that point, other than the sadistic wounds he had already given you, he had not, in his own mind, actually marked you?"

"Yes. I believe that to be so."

"But he did mark you didn't he?" the wizard asked her.

Hermione breathed in deeply. "Yes. He went somewhere for a few hours, but when he came back he said he would...," her voice tailed off.

"You believe he might have found something or spoken to someone and believed that he could mark you with no consequence?" the old wizard asked her kindly.

She nodded. "Yes. It was like he had been told that Bellatrix wasn't coming back, or at the least that it didn't matter that she had marked me before him."

"And he marked you then?"

"Yes. He...he..cut through...," she tailed off again as a shiver went down her spine.

"Did he mark you over the Lestrange woman's previous mark?"

"Yes," she nodded. "He, sliced...sliced through it and across it, deeply."

She undid her shirt cuff and rolled up her sleeve to show the wizard and the court where the mark was. Only being a few weeks old, and such an emotively strong wounding, it was still red and stood out clearly against her pale skin.

"Something else changed at this point. Up until then Felgate had not touched you sexually?"

"No."

"I'm sorry to ask my dear, but was it at this point that he forced himself on you and did what any other person would call rape?"

Hermione's breath hitched. It had all been building to this point; she was feeling like a shaken bottle of fizzy drink, slowly building pressure up the neck of the bottle and now the cap was close to coming off.

Mrs. Weasley held her hand between both of hers, giving her support and comfort.

"Yes. He...he undressed my lower half magically, to begin with," Tears were gathering in Hermione's eyes, but she was determined not to give in to them. "He then forced himself on top of me and violated me in the worst way."

The court was full of whispers again, and all eyes were staring at just her again.

"From our pensieve reports we can see that you were slowly losing consciousness?"

"Yes. I felt him...leave my body, but I don't remember much more after then."

"It was then you were found by members of the Weasley family, and Harry Potter. And your slow long road to recovery has been under the Weasley family's care?" the wizard said.

"Yes. I have been so fortunate." A couple of tears did roll down the length of her nose then.

"Thank you Miss Granger. That's all the questions I have. I think the court have heard all they need to. We would like to thank Miss Granger and commend her courage, and wish her well and hope she may work amongst us again soon." The old wizard bowed to her, and to Shacklebolt and sat down at his place again.

Mrs. Weasley handed Hermione a tissue, and the brunette discreetly dabbed at her eyes. She didn't take the opportunity to look round to Ginny, because she thought it might start her crying again.

After a minute or two a tall, dark-haired man stood up in a navy suit. His hair was slicked back and he didn't have the most pleasant of faces. He reminded Hermione of Draco Malfoy, had Draco had dark brown hair.

The first few questions, just mirrored what the prosecution wizard had asked. _Harry was right, this is really formality_, she thought.

"When Felgate was in your flat, did you hit him, or use magic on him at all?" the wizard asked.

"No. I couldn't. I had what I assume was a body-bind curse on me and my wand had been thrown from my hand from the shock blast when I went to the door," Hermione answered.

"Did you provoke any anger in him? Call him names or anything similar?"

"No. I asked him what he wanted and why he had been looking for me," Hermione replied, beginning to think the tone to these questions was a little odd.

A few more questions followed the timeline of her ordeal and seemed fairly routine, placing her in the chains, cutting her and so on.

"I see from the reports that at times you did become a bit defiant, some would say sarcastic, to Felgate?"

Hermione blinked. "I realized that it didn't matter what I said to him, he still did what he wanted to. Sometimes he would punch me for a remark, other times he would laugh and talk to me more."

"So you are saying that sometimes you _knew_ that you would be provoking more injuries?"

"What?" Hermione's eyes went wide.

"Just what are you getting at?" Mrs. Weasley asked suspiciously, breaking the rules that an escort has to remain quiet.

"I believe I was asking Miss Granger?" the man continued.

Along with some confusion and a realization that this man was trying to twist things, Hermione had one opinion of this defence bloke_, he's a slimy git!_

"I didn't know that. I was certain I was going to die, so it didn't matter what I said."

"Hmm. Interesting," the man shuffled a few papers.

He went through a few more questions about how she worked on the elf, which quite frankly made it sound like she was some kind of corruption queen, and that everyone should feel sorry for the elf, for being made to feel he had to betray his master.

"I did feel sorry for Morty in the end. He was treated badly by Felgate and I wanted him to have the opportunity at a better life. And he has that better life now," Hermione answered.

"Better for you or him?"

"Huh?" was all Hermione could reply with.

"Whether the elf is better off now or not, is not relevant to the case, stick to the point!" Shacklebolt interceded.

There were a couple of questions about Bellatrix's mark and Felgate's determination to mark her himself. Then Hermione and her corner were stunned...

"Did you offer yourself to Felgate sexually, in the hope he would be kinder to you?"

"What? NO!" Hermione nearly yelled in disbelief.

"Did you change your body language to make him look at you differently, hoping he wouldn't cut you again and maybe if he found you useful sexually, he wouldn't kill you?"

"I was chained and bleeding, I was so weak, I..." Hermione had a couple of silent tears down her face again now. Her hands had started to shake.

"I must protest!" Mrs. Weasley said. "I thought you said she would be shown respect? Bloody show some!"

Had Hermione looked around she would have seen Mr. Weasley trying to restrain Ginny from one side, with a livid George taking hold of his sister from the other side, to stop her from bounding out of her seat and probably going to punch the defence lawyer. Fleur was crying silent tears, being held by a pale-faced Bill. In another part of the court Harry had his hands in fists on his lap as he sat, and Ron also had clenched fists and a red, angry face.

"Again, I was asking Miss Granger?" the smarmy man asked.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Shacklebolt, piercing him with her eyes to do something about this farce. He discreetly put his hand forward, palm down, as if to say 'calm down I can see everything'.

"No. I didn't do anything...like that," Hermione managed to splutter out.

"You say, he forced himself on you. Yet you say and we have evidence, you were almost unconscious. How do you know that all he might have done is kiss you and nothing else?" The slimeball had the nerve to almost give a half smirk.

"You've seen the pensieve reports, you _KNOW_ what happened!" An angry Harry shouted, unable to contain himself.

"Well, well, you do seem to have an army of friends here, don't you Miss Granger? But as I have asked the question, by magical decree I am in my right to demand an answer once the said question has been voiced in this Court?" The man smiled at Shacklebolt, who in this instance couldn't stop the question.

"Please answer me Miss Granger. You see, I'm a believer in there being a difference in what a person sees and thinks happened and what actually did happen."

Mrs. Weasley gripped Hermione's hand and put her arm around her. Hermione closed her eyes and took several more breaths, trying to get back some control, however small.

"You want to know? You sick, perverted, sad excuse for a wizard?" Hermione said eerily calm, unaware herself of where her calm, stoic, strong voice came from. "I felt that man inside me. Yes, really inside me, not in my head, inside my body. I still felt him days later until Mrs. Weasley healed me. Does that satisfy you? Does that excite you? Hmm?"

Hermione was glaring at the man now, and for the first time the man didn't look so confident or sure of himself. The whole eyes of the court were sending menacing glares at him too. A lot of the court had done so before then, but now he really felt those eyes like burning hot pokers or at the very least hot pin pricks.

"Um. No further questions," he hurriedly said, dropping one of his papers as he sat down again.

Shacklebolt looked toward Mrs. Weasley and nodded to her, conveying that he thought by letting the man carry on he was only making things worse for himself and gaining even more support for Hermione and the case against his clients. He could tell he had been proved right, just from the looks of disgust and anger that were directed at the defence lawyer.

Hermione began shaking again and sweating, she felt nauseous. She turned to look at Mrs. Weasley who leant forward and hugged her. It was then, everything went black, again.


	27. Chapter 27

27

"I can't believe that lawyer man, and Kingsley for even letting it happen! I knew she should never have agreed to appear," an angry Molly Weasley said.

"She wanted to Mum; she said she had to face it. She might regret some of it, but I think she would tell you herself, that she would regret it more, not knowing what would have happened," Ginny said to her mother.

Hermione heard the voices, but she didn't have a clue where she was. She felt like she was lying down, and possibly in a bed.

"How? Where am I?" she said opening her eyes.

Hermione could see that she was in Ginny's bedroom again, she was still dressed, but in bed. _Not again_, she thought. _I'm so sick of waking up here after every bloody drama!_

"Hermione, dear," said Mrs. Weasley bustling over to her. "You're back at the Burrow. We used the floo network to get you back straight from the Ministry."

"What happened at the Court? Did they get a result?" she suddenly thought, remembering where she had been and everything that had happened.

"We left before that, but Harry said he'd come and tell us once they know," Mrs. Weasley answered.

It was then that Hermione looked around the room and as well as Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, Fleur was hovering nearby, and Bill and George were out on the landing with their father. The Frenchwoman smiled at her encouragingly.

"Hello Fleur. Thank you for you and Bill being there. It can't have been pleasant though," Hermione frowned.

"Family sticks together and I wouldn't have missed being there to support you," Fleur said.

"I'm getting up," Hermione said suddenly.

"Do you think you should? I think you should rest a bit longer," Mrs. Weasley said concerned.

"I'm fed up of resting, I've done a lifetime of resting lately!" Hermione said brightly.

The brunette grinned at Ginny, then chucked back the covers and swung her legs out of bed. She followed the others out onto the landing and went downstairs, much to the surprise of Bill, George and Mr. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley was always one step ahead when it came to food in her house and she had prepared some sandwiches and nibbles if anyone felt hungry. Hermione did feel a bit empty and ate a couple of small sandwiches.

Everyone was then sat in the living room and well into their second cup of tea when Harry and Ron walked through the door.

"Well?" Ginny asked straight away.

"Give them a chance to get through the door!" Mr. Weasley said.

Harry and Ron were also surprised to see Hermione up and about and sitting with the rest of the family. Harry sat on a vacant chair and took a sip of the tea Mrs. Weasley had brought him.

"Right, well, I'll get straight to it," Harry said. Ginny groaned as if to say he still wasn't getting on with it quick enough.

"No contest. All defendants are sentenced to Azkaban. The three most involved with the escape have received life sentences and the five with less involvement have each got twenty-five years, but with regular assessments. It's possible they might never be released, especially if we link them to other Death Eater activity."

"That's fantastic!" Fleur said.

"Good news at last," Bill said.

"Excellent. Some ruddy justice, finally!" said George.

"Why didn't Kingsley stop that vile man with his questioning, Harry? Why did he let Hermione be put through that? What was the point of that man asking the things in the way he did? It was uncalled for!" Mrs. Weasley asked, not quite celebrating over the news.

"I asked Shacklebolt," Harry said.

"I think you _demanded_ he tell you, actually," Ron interjected.

"Anyway, he said that that guy was trying to be so clever in finding any doubt in the evidence and interpretation. He was trying to get the Court to think, that if Hermione's evidence or memories were not completely sound or were open to other possibilities, then his clients would get lighter sentences, with the severity of the case against them not being totally proved." Harry smiled at Hermione. "As it turned out, the way Hermione answered just made it _more_ certain that the Court would give a guilty verdict. Shacklebolt said he could see that defence bloke digging a hole, and he just wanted to see him bury himself too. Which he did!" Harry grinned.

"Where the bloody hell did they find that lawyer? Death Eater Fan Club Headquarters?" Ginny asked.

"Funny you should say that," Ron said. "But we do think he might have a few interesting acquaintances in his past. Let's just say he's staying at the expense of the Ministry to further our knowledge."

"You've arrested him? Excellent!" Bill said. "I wouldn't bother making a case for trial with him, just give him a one-way ticket to Azkaban now!"

"I think it's time for the firewhiskey again," said Mr. Weasley getting up to go to his drinks cabinet, with Fleur summoning the glasses, although she herself preferred a glass of pumpkin juice. Firewhiskey was a very acquired taste, and you either enjoyed it, or hated it with a passion.

As everyone was drinking and getting something to eat and chattering, Ron had made his way over to Hermione.

"How ya doing, Hermione?" he asked. "I wish I could have punched that rotten shite for you."

Hermione managed a smile for him. "Yes, and then I'd be on the family bench at _your_ trial."

"I thought you were bloody amazing, Hermione."

"Thank you, Ron."

"I can see why I fell in love with you," he said, casting his eyes down. "I can also see why I must have been crazy to think someone like me could deserve to have someone like you."

Hermione sighed. "Ron, that's not what that was. It was nothing to do with anyone deserving anybody else," she shook her head, feeling slightly dizzy. She had only had a couple of sips from her firewhiskey. "Look, I'd rather not talk about all that now."

Thankfully she was saved by Harry coming over to talk to her, except he was almost in the same frame of mind.

"You were incredible Hermione. You have more guts than the rest of us put together," he said.

"I did what I thought I had to, what I always do," she tried to brush off.

"It's so wrong. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you. It's not right," Harry added.

"As you know yourself, bad things happen to good people, and there's no reason or explanation as to why," she said, now feeling tired.

"You certainly didn't deserve to be grilled by that bastard in the Court today, like you were the defendant. I'm sorry, I had no idea it would happen."

"It's not your fault Harry, so don't beat yourself up about it."

It went quiet between them, but the chatter in the rest of the room was quite lively. Hermione didn't want to be there, now. She was already tired of people telling her how wonderful she was today, and saying sorry for things that weren't their fault.

Hermione looked around to everyone else in the room and she suddenly just wanted to get away, to find a little peace. Maybe she _had_ got up too soon after all, and the whole day was catching up with her.

"Excuse me Harry, I'm just going to pop upstairs," Hermione said, then thinking she would have to say more or he would get all worried. "I just want to splash some water on my face, freshen myself up a bit."

Harry studied her for a moment, but seemed to accept her explanation. She went up the stairs and into the bedroom and flopped onto her bed, face down on her stomach. She buried her head in her pillow. It took several moments before she realized she was crying again. _Oh for goodness sake Hermione, get a bloody grip of yourself_, she scolded herself.

After a little while, she reached for her wand and put a locking charm on the door, and resumed her position of lying on her front. She even took one of her pillows and rammed it over the back of her head, kind of sandwiching her head between two pillows. It felt oddly comforting. She could smell Ginny everywhere in this room and particularly on the pillows they shared.

_You have a smelling problem Hermione_, she snorted, _first books, now pillows._

"What are you chuckling about?" a muffled voice said.

Hermione turned, moving her head out of the pillows to find Ginny standing by the bed looking at her. The redhead saw that she had been crying, but had heard her laugh, so her expression was puzzled.

"Oh nothing really. Just my thing about smelling books and other things," Hermione grinned.

"I wondered where you had gone. Harry said you came up here to wash you face or something? You've been crying, I see?"

Hermione sat up and patted for Ginny to sit next to her. She immediately wrapped her arms around her, pressing her lips to the redhead's.

"I think the day has got to me a little. Plus I was getting fed up with everyone telling me how 'incredible' I was. I know everyone has been brilliant, I couldn't ask for more, but I'm kind of out of acceptance replies now." She hugged onto Ginny. "I just had to get away and find a little space".

"Do you want me to go?" Ginny asked. "I understand if you want some alone time?"

"No. I can have peace when you're with me," Hermione sat back slightly, looking at Ginny. "Did you lock the door again?"

Ginny nodded. "I figured you didn't want people barging in. Unless you include me, but I know the spell we use."

Hermione was looking at Ginny, watching her lips as she spoke, her eyes darkening with desire. She leaned in and kissed Ginny, urgently and with utter passion. Their tongues battled, exploring every inch of each other's mouths. Hermione's hands lowered to knead Ginny's breasts through her shirt. They broke apart, finally, from a need for air.

"I don't really feel comfortable doing this," Ginny said, but seeing Hermione's frown she added. "I mean in the middle of the day with Harry and Ron just downstairs."

Hermione moved forward again and began kissing Ginny's neck, getting her girlfriend to let out delightful little moans. She kissed her way to an earlobe.

"Take me away Ginny. Please. Let's go to your house. I need to get away," she kissed the earlobe in front of her. "I need you".

Ginny's heart tightened with both passion and utter love. Hermione needed to get away from all the people here and all the reminders of the tension of the day. It wasn't just a case of wanting to get away, Hermione really _needed_ to, for her sanity and for herself.

"I had better tell Mum," Ginny said.

"Couldn't we just send her an owl when we get to the cottage?" Hermione pleaded.

"Something tells me the thought of an owl might slip our minds?" she winked at her girlfriend. "Look, she's been discreet about us, I think she'll understand. No doubt she'll lecture me about bringing you back if you so much as break wind in an odd way!"

Hermione laughed, but understood that they would have to let Mrs. Weasley know where they were going; she owed her so much, and causing her undue worry wasn't a fair return.

"I have an idea," Hermione said. "Why don't you go and get your mum? Say I've asked for her and I'm not feeling well. Then we can tell her what I want to do. If anyone asks where we are, she can say I'm feeling unwell, she's potioned me up to the eyeballs and I had asked for you to stay with me, like you often do. How's that sound? Then no one will come barging up here to find us?"

"Hermione Granger, you cunning vixen you! Are you sure you don't have a little Slytherin blood in there?" Ginny chuckled, as Hermione played at swatting her girlfriend. "Ok, I'll go get Mum."

In only a couple of minutes Mrs. Weasley came hurrying through the door, making a beeline for Hermione's bed.

"What's wrong dear?" the older woman asked, genuinely worried.

Ginny closed the door behind her and went to sit on the bed next to Hermione. Mrs. Weasley looked from one woman to the other, soon realizing that something was brewing.

They explained what they wanted to do and how they wanted to discreetly leave to save Hermione from more questions and prodding and that Hermione needed to get away.

_I think leaving out the part about me wanting to get inside Ginny's pants was a wise choice though_, Hermione inwardly tittered.

The two young women expected there to be some protest or a snag to what they had suggested, but Mrs. Weasley looked at them both, then smiled warmly.

"Of course," she said. "I understand how it must feel with everyone around you, especially after today. I think you've earned the right to do whatever you feel you want to, dear," she said directly to Hermione. "I'll go get some sleep potion for you to take with you, enough for a couple of nights."

Mrs. Weasley left the room. Ginny and Hermione just looked at each other, relieved at how easy it had been, and that the woman had even agreed to the smoke screen.

The older woman came back into the room a few moments later with a bottle of the sleep potion. She looked at Ginny with a stern expression.

"If she feels ill, or has any..."

"Yes Mum, I'm to bring her back or you'll roast me alive? Correct?" Ginny butted in.

"I mean it!" Mrs. Weasley said, pointing a finger.

"The roasting part, or the bringing her back bit?" Ginny laughed, then she kind of coughed and said. "Sorry Mum. Yes, I'll keep an eye on her."

Her mother gave them an almost wistful look, and a half smile before leaving the room.

Hermione packed a few items of clothing, and some bits and pieces into her beaded bag then took hold of Ginny's hand.

"Let's go."


	28. Chapter 28

28

The Weasley's rarely Apparated from within their house, but there were always exceptions. This was one of them. Within a few moments they were standing in the cosy living room of Ginny's cottage at Holyhead. Hermione went to sit on the arm of one of the armchairs to steady herself from the ride. She would be really glad when she could Apparate herself again.

She set her bag down as Ginny had gone off into the kitchen. Hermione already felt more relaxed, she loved the cottage and was so comfortable knowing it was just herself and Ginny there.

Ginny walked back into the room again. Hermione went up to her and embraced her tightly; she could feel all the tension drop from her shoulders.

"Do you want something to drink?" Ginny asked. "Anything? Just ask and I will oblige," she said pulling back from the hug and smiling at the brunette.

"No. I just want you, Ginny," Hermione said, her eyes fiercely focused onto Ginny's, her brown eyes darker than ever.

"You have me," Ginny managed to answer, aware that she was taking faster, more shallow breaths.

Hermione didn't pause for long and placed her hands against Ginny's cheeks, and brought their lips together. She slid one of her hands into Ginny's red hair, as their lips danced to their own rhythm. The brunette was first to push her tongue forwards, seeking entry, which Ginny gave immediately. Ginny had her arms around Hermione, with a hand sliding down the length of her girlfriend's back and rested on her backside, giving it a squeeze, causing Hermione to moan into her mouth, and push closer against her.

They broke apart momentarily, with Ginny unable to stop a laugh, she then reached for Hermione's hand and led her upstairs to the bedroom. The woman had hardly got through the door before Hermione had her backed up against the closed door, kissing her hard, while now fiddling in front of her to undo the buttons on Ginny's shirt.

Finally Hermione had the shirt undone and slid her hands down from the redhead's neck to inside her shirt to cup and lightly squeeze Ginny's bra-covered breasts. She lowered her head and kissed a path along each collarbone, and down to the valley between those beautiful breasts, before kissing the tops of them which were visible. Ginny had a hand in Hermione's hair almost holding her to her chest, her head back, breathing fast and whimpering ever so slightly.

Ginny took her shirt off completely, briefly kissing Hermione on the lips as they moved to the bed. Ginny sat while Hermione stood before her and the redhead started to unbutton the brunette's shirt. She soon had the garment open and moved her face to the middle of her chest, kissing and licking the flesh she found there. Hermione rested her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders to support herself.

Hermione then took off her shirt and Ginny wrapped her arms around her to unhook her bra, gently and slowly freeing her prize; with the bra discarded, she was able cup and knead those gorgeous breasts before her, flicking her thumbs over the nipples, feeling Hermione's whole body shiver with pleasure.

"Now you," Hermione said reaching around Ginny to remove her bra also. The pair lay down on the bed, both now topless, soft hands exploring soft flesh as their lips joined. Hermione's lips were demanding and needy, wanting to give and show her love for Ginny as well as kiss away all the upset of the day. The redhead was making Hermione literally melt as she worshipped the brunette's breasts.

Hermione's hand slid between them, pushing through to cup Ginny's crotch through her trousers. Ginny moaned louder as her hips involuntarily thrust towards Hermione's hand. The brunette moved the hand to the waist of the black trousers, undoing the top button and sliding the zip down. Hermione slid her tongue into the redhead's mouth again at the same time her hand dived into her girlfriend's trousers, and inside her underwear, immediately sliding a finger into the wet slit she found there.

The brunette moaned into Ginny's mouth, and kissed her way across her jaw, and neck and whispered in a husky voice thick with want. "You're sooo wet. Is it all for me? Hm?"

Ginny's hips bucked against her questing finger and hand again. "Yesss. You're the only one who makes me like that," she managed to say between deep breaths.

The red-haired woman wanted better contact and broke away for a moment to slide off her trousers and underwear, now completely naked under the gaze and hand of Hermione as they lay side by side. Her girlfriend decided to discard her trousers and underwear too, wanting to feel their full contact together.

Settling back down lying on their sides looking at each other, Hermione's eyes roamed all over her girlfriend's form.

"You're so stunning, Ginny." Hermione said looking over her girlfriend's figure, trailing a hand down from Ginny's shoulder, to her breasts, to the curve of her hips and a toned thigh. "I want you so badly," the brunette added, she almost had tears in her eyes now.

Ginny reached over to cup the brunette's cheek. "Then have me. I'm yours," she said, her own voice thick with the hunger of deep desire. Ginny settled back inviting Hermione to claim her.

Hermione needed no further urging, she leaned over, lowering her body onto her girlfriend's, their breasts touching delicately and divinely, with Hermione leaning in to capture Ginny's lips again, breaking off after a time only to kiss her way to first the right breast, then the left. She took each nipple in her mouth, sucking, kissing, licking and lightly grazing her teeth against them. While her mouth worked on one nipple her hand made sure the other breast didn't feel left out.

The redhead was squirming a little and arching up into her girlfriend, almost pushing more of herself into Hermione's mouth and hand. While giving her attention to the right breast again, Hermione slid her other hand down to Ginny's mound, cupping it, and sliding two fingers into her girlfriend's hot, wet folds, immediately finding her pulsing clit, begging for her touch.

Hermione's fingers rubbed and circled her lover's bundle of nerves, Ginny moaning her pleasure, louder and louder. The brunette kissed her way up to her girlfriend's lips again, nibbling and tugging on Ginny's bottom lip. She slipped her tongue into the redhead's mouth just as she entered two fingers inside her. Ginny's eyes flew open as she threw her head back, "Oh god Yessss!" she moaned.

The brunette set a steady pace, sliding her fingers in and out of her lover, while keeping the base of her palm rubbing over her girlfriend's centre. Ginny's hips were rocking constantly and Hermione could begin to feel her tighten around her fingers. She whispered to Ginny, telling her how much she loved her, how sexy she was, and she watched her lover's face as she grew flushed and a sheen of sweat appeared over her face and body.

"Are you going to come for me? Hmm?" she urged, and her girlfriend gave a loud moan, her hips rising off the bed and stilling, before wildly bucking.

"Yesssss, Hermione! Yessss!" Ginny cried out as a powerful climax hit her, Hermione coaxing out every pulse of it with her hand, frequently kissing her lips and cheeks to soothe her.

Finally panting, with her chest heaving Ginny began to come down from her orgasm. Hermione held her, with her fingers still placed in her favourite location, inside Ginny as her inner walls continued to grip at her and spasm.

Ginny kissed her long and sweetly. "That was...bloody hell...good," Ginny spluttered out continuing to try and catch her breath.

Hermione laughed. "You're amazing, Ginny," she said, kissing her tenderly. "I love you so much."

After several minutes Hermione reluctantly slid her fingers out of her girlfriend, unable to resist licking them clean, then kissing Ginny again so she could taste herself on her lips.

Their kissing became deep again and full of passion. Hermione settled back so Ginny leaned over her, reversing their positions.

The brunette felt so alive, so attuned to feeling Ginny kissing her and her hands touching her breasts. Each kiss and touch to her chest felt like sparks of energy, causing her to wriggle and writhe under her girlfriend's touch.

She reached out to Ginny, bringing her face to hers, and kissing her again, becoming almost urgent to the point of being frantic.

"I want you so badly," she breathed out. Hermione got hold of one of Ginny's hands and guided it between her legs, wordlessly asking to be touched.

Ginny lightly rubbed at her clit, as they always did.

Except...this time Hermione felt beyond turned on, she felt desperate for her lover's touch, she felt tears forming in her eyes. Hermione was feeling such a mixture of huge emotions, but the strong feeling was her deep want and need for Ginny.

Hermione rocked her hips against Ginny's hand seeking more friction. Ginny looked at her, and saw the tears. She stilled her hand, kissing the tear that had rolled down from the corner of Hermione's eye.

"Hermione, my love?" she asked.

"Don't stop, Ginny, please don't stop," the brunette pleaded.

"I don't know...," the redhead said concerned.

"I need you, Ginny. My god I need you, make me forget. Please?" Hermione asked.

Ginny understood what Hermione meant, that she wanted Ginny to make her bad memories go away, or at least try things to see if it was possible.

The redhead smiled at her lover, before kissing her thoroughly, letting their tongues dance with each other. She began to move her fingers against Hermione's clit again, but with more purpose than usual. The brunette moaned delightfully into her mouth, her lower half rocking to the rhythm of her hand.

Hermione felt that distant burning tension building deep within her. She wanted to break through that invisible wall, the thing which that bastard had left her with. _I'm better than that, Ginny is better than that._

Ginny was kissing a trail down her neck, kissing and nipping lightly at every inch of soft skin she found.

"Ginny?" Hermione almost whispered.

Her lover looked up at her and stilled her hand again, wondering if she had gone too far.

"Love me Ginny, really love me. I need you inside me," Hermione managed to say.

The redhead began moving her hand once more and raised herself up again, to lightly press her lips to her lover's. Looking her in the eyes, she carefully pushed two fingers inside Hermione, the brunette raising her hips up to meet her, moaning softly.

Another tear fell from Hermione's eye, but she wasn't distressed. She could feel Ginny, and only Ginny; her fingers moving within her; her soft, toned, gorgeous body against hers; her soft lips against her own, frequently placing featherlight kisses to her cheek, and neck too.

Ginny set a steady rhythm and Hermione could feel that familiar burning sensation become bigger and bigger. It was then she saw and heard Felgate laughing and could feel him pressing against her, but instead of giving in to him she growled back defiantly, mentally and almost physically pushing him away, moaning with the pleasure Ginny was giving her, trying to show that bastard what he would never feel and never know. He stopped laughing and began to fade. _Yeah, you have nothing to laugh at now you sick shite, _Hermione thought as if she were saying it to him. _I've won!_

Hermione could feel her insides tighten a little, as could Ginny, who circled her clit with her thumb more firmly.

"I love you Ginny," Hermione said. She was looking into Ginny's eyes; her girlfriend looking at her for any sign of distress or pain.

"You're a goddess Hermione," she picked up the pace of her thrusting fingers, beginning to feel the faintest sign of a spasm.

_Oh my god, I think I'm going to to come_, Hermione thought astonished. She was astounded by the fact she felt she _could_ do it, as well as the incredible feeling she was experiencing which had last been felt so long ago.

"Yesssssss," she said out loud.

"That's it, my love. Let go. Come for me now, Hermione," Ginny encouraged.

"GINNNYYYY!" Hermione cried out as her body went over the edge, her hips writhing uncontrollably. Her inside walls gripped and spasmed around Ginny's still moving fingers as the redhead tried to draw out every bit, to give her the pleasure she had missed for so long. She still lightly rubbed against Hermione's centre with the heel of her hand and unbelievably Hermione's body went rigid for a moment again before she had another orgasm straight away. _I can't bloody believe this_, Hermione thought, _who needs a broom, I'm flying now!_

Hermione didn't get to feel much after that as she actually passed out. Her inner walls were still gripping Ginny's fingers and her whole lower body was still shaking in the throes and after effects of passion.

After a couple of minutes, Hermione opened her eyes. _Great, it was all a dream, and don't tell me, I'm resting in bed again? _she thought glumly. _What a bloody brilliant dream though!_

She turned her head and found Ginny looking at her, with tears in her eyes, smiling at her, her face showing so much love for her. She turned a little more towards her, and it was then she felt her girlfriend's fingers still very much embedded inside her.

"Oh!" Hermione panted out.

"You OK?" Ginny asked, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.

"I'm not sure, I think so." Hermione answered as she moved a little more, setting off another flinch within her,..._a post-orgasmic spasm._ _It was all real? _

"Do you want me to come out? You've been holding onto me so hard, I didn't want to just whip my fingers out until you were ready?"

Hermione smiled. "It's been so bloody long. I never thought I'd ever feel that again," she continued to smile, but another tear fell. "And no, I want you to stay there. I've wanted you inside me for ages."

"I'll stay a bit longer then," Ginny smirked and placed a kiss on Hermione's lips.

"So? It happened then?" Hermione asked, still not quite believing it.

"Oh yeah! Twice in fact!"

"Hmm," Hermione grinned, everything coming back to her, literally. "I remember."

For a few moments they just enjoyed each other's presence, placing soft kisses to soft skin.

"I fought him back," Hermione said quietly. "He was there the moment you...you entered me. But I made him go away, made him see he was a loser and had no control over me, not when you were touching me anyway." She blushed a little. "I think facing it all in the Court today, made me realize that I could face him down and that my want for _you_ was more powerful than my fear of _him_. In the bedroom at least," she half-smiled.

"I love you and I'm so proud of you, Hermione," the redhead quirked her lips at the slight frown Hermione hadn't been able to hide. "No, I'm not going to blow hot air up your arse, like everyone else...although that could be interesting sexually...err...what I mean," Ginny spluttered on. "is that you faced that demon and you fought it. I would have waited for you forever and yet you still fought him, even after what you went through today. You are incredible Hermione. And my god you're good in bed!" she chuckled.

Hermione couldn't hold the frown any longer, besides it was different when Ginny told her she was 'amazing' and 'incredible'. It was from her heart, with no elaborated nonsense.

As Hermione laughed too, she set off another set of spasms between her legs. And that seemed to make both of them laugh harder.

After a while spent kissing and talking about nothing in particular, Hermione gave an enormous yawn.

"I know you hate the idea these days, but I think we should both get some rest. It's been quite a day," Ginny suggested.

The brunette vaguely nodded only half hearing, she was a bit tired now, but felt completely peaceful and content.

"I'll slide out now," Ginny said.

"I don't want you to, but I can hardly leave you in there all day can I?" Hermione blushed.

"No that's true. I can always visit you there, when you want me to though?" Ginny winked as she slowly removed her fingers from her girlfriend. Hermione whimpering slightly at the loss of fullness.

"I don't want to sleep, you know, or particularly rest," said the brunette.

Ginny looked at her with a serious face, reaching a hand to her cheek and then pressing the back of the hand to her lover's forehead, as if testing her temperature.

"What?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

"I'm wondering. A flushed hot face, sweating, shortness of breath, passing out...hmm...I'm supposed to take you back to Mum if anything like that happens." Ginny broke into a wide grin.

Hermione slapped at the investigating hand, but also started smiling, relieved that Ginny was playing around.

"And what would we tell her had happened?" Hermione put on a funny voice trying to imitate Ginny. _"I don't know what happened Mum. We were fucking each other senseless and just as Hermione had a second huge orgasm she passed out?"_

Ginny laughed out loud, holding her stomach. "Hermione Granger?" Ginny tried to stop her laughs to get her words out. "You're so sexy when you swear! It's adorable!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed too. It was hard to be sad for long around Ginny.

"No, I'm serious, Herm. I think we should rest. You've been put through hell today, and then a little heaven," she gave a crooked devious smile. "But I think you should get some rest."

"It's still only afternoon?" Hermione protested.

"Does that matter? " Ginny asked incredulous. "You haven't got a lesson to get to? Besides this is my house and we can do as we please."

The redhead got up from the bed, despite Hermione trying to keep her there.

"Hmm? Where are you off to?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to get us a cold drink and get your sleeping potion. Just a few drops should be enough for a nice calm nap," Ginny said as she slipped on a bathrobe and left the room.

Hermione felt amazing. It had happened, she had finally broken through that barrier. She hoped it was always in her power now. She knew what she had to do if Felgate encroached on her again, while she was with Ginny. Fleur was right, she had to replace her bad memories with good ones, and make Ginny strong in those memories. That's exactly how she had worked it, showing the presence of Felgate that only Ginny mattered and only Ginny would have access to her now.

She sighed; there was still the matter of the nightmares. Hermione had to admit that she was feeling a bit too tired now to consider attempting sleep without the potion. _I suppose I'll have to fight him in my dreams in a similar way_, she thought. _At least I'm closer to fighting it now._

Ginny walked back into the room, carrying a small tray with a couple of glasses of ice cold pumpkin juice. She had the sleeping potion bottle in her bathrobe pocket.

"First you make love to me, and now you wait on me?" Hermione observed amused. "I'm a lucky, lucky girl."

"Uh-na," Ginny admonished. "I'm the lucky one. And bloody stupid for not seeing how you felt about me years sooner! Which makes me even luckier, because no one else claimed your heart while I faffed around for years with Harry."

"Let's just agree that we're both lucky," Hermione said, taking a sip of her juice as Ginny sat back next to her on the bed. They raised their glasses to that.


	29. Chapter 29

29

Hermione had some of her happiest days of her life over the next couple of days. Ginny was able to get the Tuesday off, and they mostly spent it in bed. Now that Hermione had been able to finally let go and give herself completely to Ginny, she was almost addicted to the feeling, making up for lost time.

_Ginny probably thinks I've turned into a sex-mad bunny_, Hermione thought, amusingly to herself, _but there again, I don't see her complaining about it!_

The Wednesday, Ginny had to train, and was insisting that Hermione go back to the Burrow. However Hermione said it was time she tried some time alone. She wasn't going to leave the cottage, and if she felt at all nervous or distressed she promised she would floo back to the Burrow. Ginny agreed that she could stay.

That day Hermione tried her hand at a bit of domesticity. She decided to clean the cottage. It gave her something to do until Ginny got back in the afternoon. Not wanting to use magic, she found up a cloth and set about dusting the living room.

_Ron would probably keel over with lust if he saw me now_, she thought, while dusting the mantlepiece and hearth, _he always had fantasies about me being all housewifey._

It was a lovely day, even if it was mostly spent alone and cleaning, only stopping for a light lunch of scrambled eggs on toast.

Hermione was working on the last area of the living room; some books which she just had to straighten up and place on the shelf in order of size and then title. _OK, so I'm a book straightener as well as a book sniffer!_

"What have you been up to?" a familiar voice said.

The brunette turned and gave a wide smile to her girlfriend, who she hadn't heard arrive home; then turned again, as she placed the last two books in place on the newly organized shelf.

"I thought I'd be useful."

Ginny walked up behind her, and wrapped her arms around her waist, leaning in to kiss the side of her neck.

"You should have used your wand, you could have had it done much quicker?" the redhead suggested.

"I wanted to do it the slow way. I've always found dusting and tidying to be theraputic and calming," Hermione said.

"Must be a muggle thing?" Ginny gave a small snort.

"Of course, if your brother had had his way, I think he wanted me to be permanently dressed in an apron and tied to the sink, like a mini version of your mum," the brunette said in derision.

"He wouldn't have a clue how to treat you right, Hermione," Ginny turned her girlfriend in her arms and kissed her on the lips. "Although, thinking of you in an apron, cleaning, does raise interesting ideas about you being bent over a table..."

"Ginny Weasley?" Hermione exclaimed.

"What?" Ginny tilted her head to one side, putting on an innocent face. "Can I help it if you get my blood all fired up? Can I help it if I want to touch you and love you whenever I see you? Can I help it if little fantasies enter my mind? Can I?" she pouted.

Hermione just laughed in reply. "I guess I'm just as guilty of the fantasies part," her cheeks flushed. "I had devious thoughts about you for years. I half expected your ears to permanently turn red from the side effects of my mind thinking of you!"

They shared a deeper kiss, enough to get them both breathing harder.

"I do believe I'm addicted to you, Ginny!" Hermione announced.

"Well, it's just as well, I am for you too then," the redhead laughed.

"So how was training? Did you get pushed harder because you missed yesterday?"

"No. I seem to be doing so well in the matches that the coaches appear to be giving me a lot of slack. As long as I work hard when I _am_ there. Oh, and go to boring functions like tomorrow night and do major bowing and scraping on behalf of the team," Ginny said rolling her eyes..

"I'm not sure I can get to the match this week. It's too close to all that mess on Monday and too fresh, I'm so not ready for more eyes all turning to look at me like I've grown horns, but maybe I can get to a match next time, or the one after that?"

"Whenever you feel ready Hermione. It's entirely up to you, love," Ginny gave another devious smile. "I wouldn't say you've grown horns. More like you've grown horny! Get it?"

Hermione groaned, but had to giggle too.

"I suppose I'll be leaving tomorrow as you have that function in the evening. Besides, if I stay any longer your Mum would probably come over herself, and she might get to see more than she's ready for!" Hermione said.

"We've only got enough sleep potion for one more night, and I'm not that great at mixing up more. Besides I don't have the ingredients," she sighed. She loved having Hermione living with her and wished it could be more permanent in the future.

"Maybe soon I can try to leave off that potion and get to a point where I don't need it. I've solved one of my problems, I'm sure I can wrestle the other one, eventually."

"A Gryffindor through and through," Ginny beamed at her with pride and love.

The pair spent the rest of the day sitting on the sofa talking about everything and anything. Not only did they feel content with each other's bodies, but they were so at home with each other's company. They fitted each other physically and mentally like perfectly tailored gloves.

Ginny went out to get their dinner and surprised Hermione when she came back with fish and chips.

"What about your training, Gin? I'm sure this isn't on your list of healthy eats?"

"It doesn't hurt now and again, Hermione. Besides you've been helping me to burn off more calories than a week's gym work could do," Ginny said winking.

"Well that's OK then," Hermione grinned.

It was superb, tasting all the better because of the company they shared. Hermione sighed, feeling full and content.

"My parents and I always had fish and chips when we went to the seaside, when I was younger. It always tasted fantastic then and I remember those meals as the best ever, but I do believe you have beaten that here!"

"Glad to hear it." Ginny said, deliberately puffing up her chest with pride. "Mum tried to make this once, and make her own battered cod, except she used her wand and we ended up with the batter on the inside of the fish instead of the outside!"

Hermione laughed. "Hey, she invented a new dish!"

"Yeah, it was alright. Very odd, but edible."

Hermione had a mischievous glint in her eye. "Like you, Ginny. Very odd, but edible."

Ginny studied her a moment as if working out the meaning of the sentence carefully.

"I wouldn't say I was 'very odd'," she considered. "But I _am_ very edible!"

"Oh the modesty!" Hermione guffawed.

"You're pretty edible too, Hermione," said Ginny with a twinkle in her eyes, rapidly turning to lust. "Can I have you for dessert?"

The previously adamant Hermione about not using magic too often to do menial jobs like cleaning the dishes, was forgotten. The two women cleaned up in double quick time.

Ginny wanted a shower first, so the impatient Hermione decided to have one with her. There was something so very sensual and sexy about soaping a lover's body down. Sliding hands over every curve of their figure, letting the steam add to their shallower breaths, and their flushed faces. Massaging toned muscles on Ginny, feeling them ripple under firm touches from fingertips. Sliding hands down flat stomachs which flinch slightly from a highly sensitive tickling feeling, which immediately sends a flutter to their core and between their legs.

Smooth buttocks, gripped and held, pushing bodies closer together, capturing a nipple in their mouth as the water runs down the valley between their lover's breasts, and placing their hands into every crevice, feeling a wetness beyond what the water can do. Not wanting to spoil the encore, they finished their shower and helped to dry each other, almost reverently, with delicate rub downs and wipes of the towels.

After a short time, in which they both decided on the lazy option of wand-work on their wet hair, they made their way to their bed. _This room is rapidly turning into the Love Palace_, a very amused Hermione thought.

Like a dance that had been learned a long time ago, with both knowing the steps, they began to make gentle love to each other.

Ginny did exactly as she had promised, and made her way down Hermione's body, kissing every inch of soft flesh as she went, briefly sticking her tongue into Hermione's navel, causing her to half whimper and half giggle with pleasure. She knelt between Hermione's legs, and kissed the top of her mound, running her fingers through the triangle of dark hair. She kissed a line down the inside of both of Hermione's thighs before finally giving in to her main goal.

As the redhead brushed her tongue lightly over Hermione's centre, the brunette moaned loudly, never having felt anything so good. Ginny raised her eyes up to look at her and could see how much her girlfriend was enjoying this.

She explored every inch of her lover's folds with her tongue, and pushed it into her, making Hermione's hips want to rise right off the bed, had Ginny not kept a steadying hand on her.

Ginny slid two fingers into Hermione and covered her clit with her mouth. She licked at Hermione's centre, flicking and rubbing against it with her tongue, lightly sucking and then pressing against the bundle of nerves there. Her fingers kept a steady pace, and gradually sped up as she felt Hermione's inner walls begin to grip her. She could feel her lover right on the edge, and sucked extra hard on her clit, and pushed her over the edge. Hermione's hips briefly stilled before her lower half shook violently into a strong climax. Ginny lapped up every drop of her girlfriend's release, before raising herself up and lying to the side of her and up against her, kissing her so she could taste her own passion on her lips.

Hermione was in that wonderful place of utter calm after a good orgasm, she badly wanted to take care of Ginny, but for the moment she could hardly move.

"Give me a sec Gin. I want you," she took a couple of deep breaths trying to slow her heartrate. "I just need a moment."

"No problem, love," Ginny said, pressing her lips to her cheek.

Hermione loved to feel Ginny's fingers within her after climaxing and this was no different. What was different this time, was Ginny moved herself again, so she was kneeling next to her, facing her.

"I can start without you," Ginny winked to a flustered Hermione. "I'll have to! You've got me so worked up, you sexy woman!"

The redhead lowered her free hand to her own crotch, slowly sliding fingers into her wet folds, sighing at the contact. Never taking her eyes from Hermione's, her fingers found her aching clit and began to rub it, both with firm strokes and maddening circles.

In a short time, Ginny began to feel Hermione's hips move again, and when she looked down she saw that Hermione had lowered a hand to her own mound and was stroking herself.

"That's it, my love, let's come together like this," Ginny urged.

She kept her fingers absolutely still within Hermione. This was incredibly hot to watch each other get themselves off.

_She's an absolute goddess_, Hermione thought, hardly coherently, not quite believing what she was seeing.

Hermione couldn't stop herself from using her free hand to pinch, tug and play with her own nipples, her breasts feeling so sensitive. This turned on Ginny even more, as she sped up her hand.

Ginny could feel Hermione begin to grip her fingers again.

"I'm so close, Hermione. You ready?" the redhead asked, breathily.

"Hmmm," was all Hermione could answer in reply.

"That's it Hermione. Look what you do to me? You make me so hot I have to get myself off in front of you," Ginny breathed heavily. "I see I'm not alone. I see you playing with yourself. A few more strokes, my love. That's it. I'm coming...I'm coming for you. Come with me, love."

Seeing Ginny begin to climax immediately set off Hermione's own orgasm. After which Ginny flopped back down next to Hermione her insides still twitching as were her girlfriend's. Both women had silly smiles on their faces.

"God, that was so...wow!" Hermione blurted out.

"Yeah, it was rather, wasn't it?" Ginny laughed, panting still.

"Hmm, you always said I could watch that one day. I got to see the whole show this time," a grinning Hermione said.

"Glad you enjoyed the performance," Ginny chuckled. "I enjoyed your show too!"

Hermione blushed adorably. _For goodness sake, you're a grown woman, stop blushing!_ she thought, _after what you just did, it's a little late to blush._ Of course, that thought made her blush even more, but it wasn't seen on her still already flushed face.

"Thank you Gin," Hermione said in a quiet serious voice.

"For what?"

"For loving me. For being patient. For giving me back my life," the brunette looked a little teary-eyed.

"Hey, no tears," Ginny grinned holding a hand to Hermione's cheek. "No need to thank me for anything. If we were going to go through everything, then I would thank you too, for giving me life full stop, for loving me, for waiting for so long. And now I'm going quite soppy, but that's another thing, I can be me around you and not hide anything, and not have to be the quidditch star. We have something special together, Hermione, _very_ special," she kissed her.

They settled down for their last night together until the Sunday, as Ginny was going to stay at the cottage for Thursday night, due to a small function at the Harpies she had to attend that evening. No doubt a sponsor needing to have their ego flattered in order to feel like parting with some more cash for the team.

Hermione dreaded the time apart from Ginny again, not sure there were enough odd jobs at the Burrow to do for each hour she was counting down until they were together again. However, on the scale of things she had dealt with lately, it was a small thing and she would survive it, and even the prospect of another _girls afternoon _with Mrs. Weasley didn't feel a problem.

For now, potion downed, and snuggled up to her gorgeous girlfriend, Hermione didn't care about tiny details anymore. She had the bigger prize, the arms of which were placed around her protectively.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Okey-dokey, it seems that Hermione's parents(or lack of) has raised some questions. :) I found that a bit surprising, but I'll explain why I don't find it odd that her parents haven't been in contact, or she with them... **

**The situation I put Hermione in with her parents is taken from a couple of real life incidences. In one of those cases, a friend of my family fell out with their parents when they were 18, with both sides refusing to have contact with each other. In hindsight it was for quite mild, almost silly reasons, but it got twisted out of control with a good element of pride involved. They never sent each other so much as a Christmas card and the parents didn't go to the person's wedding and weren't even invited. Sadly when one of the parents died, it was only found out from the newspaper and the person in question didn't even go to the funeral. Unfortunately these are not unique incidences in society as a whole, and are quite common.**

**So with Hermione in my story, she went to Australia to find her parents...it didn't go well and they both accepted it was basically 'over' between them. To me it makes it very realistic that she wouldn't have contacted her parents after her ordeal, so they would have no way of knowing about her ordeal to contact her. It's all set in and a result of the magic world, and her parents would probably not be comfortable with that either, making her even less likely to tell them. Yes, I could have killed off the Granger's...but they are not directly relevant to the story and once I decided to estrange them from Hermione, they didn't really enter my thoughts again and only get passing references. Anyway, I hope that clears it up a bit...in some ways Hermione's feelings on 'family' do get resolved with a little closure by the end of this story. ;)**

**Right...this update includes Chapters 30, 31 & 32. This arc is called, "Little Revelations."**

30

Standing near the fireplace in Ginny's cottage waiting to go back to the Burrow, Hermione had a dichotomy of feelings. On the one hand she was dreading having to be seperated from Ginny until Sunday evening, yet on the other hand she was feeling so confident and more like her old self again, and felt able to handle most things that came her way.

Ginny walked over to her and they shared a long, sweet kiss.

"I suppose we had better get going?" the redhead said.

"I can get myself back."

Ginny looked at her. "I don't know..."

"Look, it's just the floo network, I can do that now. I don't want to have to say goodbye to you in front of your mum or anyone else again."

"Alright. But you had better remember to tell Mum it was your idea, I'd rather like to keep the skin on my backside today!"

Hermione leaned in and hugged her, lowering her hands to squeeze Ginny's ample buttocks.

"Ooo, I quite agree with you," Hermione said. "I can't have those buns burnt."

Both women laughed, before sharing another kiss.

"See you Sunday. Hope you beat those Falmouth Falcons senseless!" the brunette said cheerfully.

They parted and as Hermione used the floo powder and stated her destination she saw Ginny blow her a kiss as she left.

Hermione walked out from the Weasley's floo fireplace, and dusted herself off.

"Hello Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley said, walking through having heard someone arrive. "Where's Ginny?"

"I came by myself. I...," Before Hermione could say anything else, the older woman started to frown, putting a hand on her hip.

"What did I tell that girl? Letting you get here by yourself? I'll be having words with her!"

"It was my idea," Hermione said, feeling a little timid again. "She watched me leave. I wanted to get a little independence back, that's all."

Mrs. Weasley studied her with narrowed eyes, trying to decide if it was the absolute truth or not. The explanation must have been good enough as the frown soon disappeared.

"So did you have a nice time in Holyhead?"

"Yeah. It was nice to get away," Hermione quickly shook her head. "I don't mean that in a bad way. I love being here and you've all been so kind to me, but Monday I just had to be somewhere else."

"I understand, I do," Mrs. Weasley said. "I know how we can all be when everyone gets together. It was a deeply personal thing to you that day. I think getting away was for the best."

"It was," Hermione nodded. "I feel so good right now."

_Don't go any further_, Hermione thought, _this is getting into dangerous territory of, 'I feel great because your daughter's tongue and fingers sent me to heaven several times'._

"I hope my daughter took care of you?"

"Yes!" Hermione said in a rather alarmingly high voice. _Well done Granger_, she thought, _draw attention to a second meaning, that was never there to begin with_.

Hermione cleared her throat, faking a small cough before saying in a normal voice. "Yes. We relaxed," _No no, that just leads to relaxing IN bed! _"I...err did some dusting and cleaning around the cottage, which Ginny found amusing. It was nice to just do some mundane things."

"Dusting? Being around Ginny, you'll find yourself doing a lot of that!" Mrs. Weasley smiled. "She has always tried to get out of cleaning chores, she'd happily live with a foot of dust and fluff covering everything, if she had her way!"

Hermione chuckled. "I like cleaning, and doing things the slow muggle way. I find it always helps the mind to sort through things."

"I'm just the same, dear."

"Did anyone notice Ginny and I had gone on Monday?" the younger woman asked, curiously.

"Ron and Harry wondered, and were all prepared to barge into Ginny's bedroom to see how you were. It was a good thing I put a locking charm on it and got them to stay away. No one else seemed unduly worried."

"That's OK then," Hermione paused. "Thank you for...you know, aiding our escape".

"Not at all. I thought it was romantic actually," Mrs. Weasley said.

This knowledge made Hermione swallow hard from a very dry mouth. _Here we go_, she thought, _blush alert_. And she didn't let herself down and blushed.

She managed to extricate herself from Ginny's mother and go up to the bedroom and sort through her bag of clothes.

XXXXXXXXXX

In the late afternoon Hermione was taking a walk out into the fields around the Burrow. She plonked herself down on a chair out near the quidditch area and drew out her wand, fiddling with it idly.

She looked at the wand in her hand and thought it was about time she tried to Apparate again. _If I can make a start on small distances, say from here to the yard next to the house, that would be something,_ she thought.

Not giving things too much thought she stood up and Apparated, finding herself in the yard she had aimed for, seconds later. She walked forward, moved her neck from side to side and everything seemed fine.

Next she Apparated back to the place she came from, and that went well too. The following journey she made she Apparated back to inside the kitchen.

Unfortunately she scared the life out of Mrs. Weasley.

"Hermione?" the older woman gasped.

"Sorry!" the brunette said. "I was just trying to Apparate again. It's gone well."

"You feel OK? No sign of the slightest splinching?"

"I checked myself and there's no side effects. It all feels good. I'm hoping to try for somewhere a bit further soon," a pleased Hermione said.

"Pace yourself. Don't rush things."

Hermione nodded agreement with the advice, but she was immensely pleased with herself. It wouldn't be too long before she could Apparate to Holyhead herself, or go anywhere she wanted to.

XXXXXXXXXX

Saturday arrived and along with it the regular congregation of the Weasleys, ready to go to Ginny's match. Fleur had come over to the Burrow again, so Mrs. Weasley was happy to go to the match knowing Hermione wasn't by herself. Fleur was yet again, relieved about that.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you much on Monday, Fleur," Hermione said, then going on to explain what she suspected her friend had already guessed.

"Not at all. You needed to be somewhere else. If it had been me, I would have wanted to do the same thing," the Frenchwoman gave a genuine warm smile.

"You know, I wasn't sure I wanted any friends or family at that trial to begin with. I just had a feeling deep down that everything would be revealed in the bluntest of ways. But I'm so glad everyone was there after all. It may not have helped at the time, but in hindsight you all gave me strength," Hermione said looking serious.

"We wouldn't have allowed you to face that by yourself. No way!" said an adamant Fleur. "I just wish I could have hexed that defence lawyer."

"What a smarmy sod, eh?" Hermione voiced.

"Harry told me that he's in the custody of the Ministry still. I think everyone was so outraged that they'll search and search for something to prosecute him with."

"It will sound bad, but I don't really care," Hermione said. "I'm beyond that now. If I let myself dwell on it, it's not going to help anyone or anything. I won my little bit of proceedings, that's the main thing."

"So, did you and Ginny enjoy yourselves?" Fleur asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes we did," Hermione smirked back. "We enjoyed ourselves a lot...and many times," she winked.

Fleur snorted. "I guessed as much. What I'd like to know is how did you manage to get Molly Weasley to play along when you left on Monday?"

"She _knows_." Fleur's eyebrows climbed her forehead. "Yeah, she knows. A mother thing apparently. Anyway I wouldn't say she's overjoyed by it, but she's happy that _we're_ happy and won't interfere."

"Molly Weasley not interfering?" Fleur's eyes widened. "Have galleons been raining from the skies? Has the sun gone out?" she laughed.

Hermione joined in. "Yeah, it's pretty unimaginable isn't it? We're just dreading when others find out, but at least it's one less person we have to worry about."

"I would say it's the potentially worst one to cross off your list. I thought she would be your most difficult hurdle," considered Fleur.

There was silence between the two women for a few moments as both were lost in their thoughts.

"By the way," Hermione said, already feeling a faint blush creeping to her cheeks." Thank you."

"What for?"

"Your advice, last time...about my...problem...you know...," Hermione tailed off.

"Oh! So by that, I take it things have improved?"

"Very much so," Hermione paused again, looking down at her hands. "I had to literally face-off that man, push him away and block him out, thinking only of Ginny and placing what she and I have between him and me. Showing him that he can not touch me again. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, absolutely. I always thought it was a case of making your feelings and memories of Ginny stronger and therefore better than your ordeal," Fleur said matter-of-factly, as if they weren't really discussing Hermione's sex life.

"I just wish I could tackle my nightmares now. I've been too tired lately to try a potionless sleep. But I want to soon."

"Only do so when you're ready. Don't push yourself Hermione. You're making amazing strides forward, when so many would just have given up on life altogether."

"I've begun to Apparate again," Hermione said proudly.

"I hope you're being careful?" said a stern Fleur.

"Yes _Mum_!" Hermione replied in a rather cheeky way, imitating how Ginny would react in this situation.

"I mean it. We don't want you splinching yourself or ending up somewhere you don't know or where no one can find you," the Frenchwoman continued.

"I know. I'm just doing short trips around the Burrow at the moment, but so far so good," she saw Fleur still looking at her. "I'll be careful, promise," she added.

"Anyway, how rude of me. How are you, Fleur? Still being worked hard by the goblins?" asked Hermione.

"Yes they never let up. I've had to have a day off during the week a couple of times recently including your Court case, and they don't like that one bit. The next day they made plenty of remarks about weak humans. Pah, grumpy little twats!"

Hermione laughed. "Well at least they're consistent, you know they're always going to be obnoxious gits, the whole time!"

"I try to be as hard to them as they are to me. Thank goodness I will get away from them in the near future."

"Are you leaving the bank?" Hermione asked surprised.

"I'll be having extended leave in a few months time," Fleur smiled. "Can you keep a secret? For a few hours, anyway?"

Hermione nodded, there was no question about that.

"Of course I can."

"I'm pregnant, Hermione," Fleur beamed.

"Really?" Hermione's mouth opened. "That's a stupid thing to say, of course you are if you say you are! Duh!" she lightly slapped her own forehead for her silly choice of words. "WOW! I'm guessing it wasn't planned?"

"I always wanted a family with Bill, but I wasn't sure when. Since I've found out, I can't be happier. I had a couple of days off to get checked at St. Mungo's."

"Again, I say 'WOW'," Hermione said grinning. "You haven't told anyone else yet? Of course you haven't! If you had, Mrs. Weasley would be all over you like a rash?"

"No, it's just Bill, you and my parents. I didn't want to say anything until I was sure. I'm about three months gone now and we were thinking we might tell everyone when they get back from the match. I know Ginny won't be here, but I'm sure she'll hear from the family or you."

"Are you ready for the 'fussbomb' that is Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked.

"A world of no!" Fleur replied amused. "But another couple of months and she'll know and I won't be able to hide it, so it's best we tell her."

Hermione went over to Fleur and hugged her. "Congratulations Fleur. I'm so happy for you and Bill."

"At least it explains why I've been so tired for a while now. I was blaming it all on my work."

"You take care of yourself Fleur. If I promise to do so for myself, you'll have to promise me you will too?"

"Agreed," the blonde said.

They listened to the quidditch reports come in and Ginny appeared to be having a great day; the Harpies were leading 160-140 and amazingly Ginny had scored all but ten points of the total score. Just as the radio presenter was moving to another match report, he stopped and went back to the Harpies v Falcons match. "The snitch has been caught...it's yet another Harpies win!"

Hermione and Fleur clapped loudly. As usual Hermione's mind flirted with her changing-room fantasy. _I'd give Ginny a victory welcome she'd never forget_, Hermione thought.

Fleur was looking at her with a crooked knowing smile.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, flabbergasted at how the Frenchwoman seemed to read her thoughts so easily.

"Nothing," the blonde said. "I just hope Ginny will be able to walk on Monday morning?" she added giggling.

"FLEUR?" Hermione retorted. "I...you..."

"What's the matter Hermione, cat got your tongue...or has Ginny?" said Fleur snorting with laughter.

Hermione couldn't find an answer, so just blushed, making Fleur laugh harder.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but you're adorable when you blush."

"Yeah that's what everyone says," the brunette rolled her eyes, but chuckled.

They waited for the family to arrive back from the match. Amazingly Fleur wasn't all that nervous, or she wasn't showing any nerves at least. It might have been the idea, that it would be a relief to reveal her secret, and to finally stop Mrs. Weasley from hinting at her to start a family. Although now she would be fussed over, but that was perhaps better than being pressurized to breed in the first place.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, George, Ron, and Bill arrived back. Yet again Percy hadn't gone to the latest match, but they all accepted him as a fringe member of the family and let him show up to what he pleased, no one ever wanting to go as far as twisting his arm to come to the Burrow if he didn't want to.

They all had some nibbles and some drink, and were settled in the living room, with Ron and George talking about some of the match incidents.

Fleur nudged Bill and indicated that now was the time.

"Right everyone!" Bill said loudly. The living room had his attention. "Fleur and I have an announcement."

Almost immediately Mrs. Weasley had her hands clutched together, hoping it was the thing she had wanted for so long.

"Bill and I are expecting our first child," Fleur said, simply radiant and glowing with happiness.

"I KNEW IT!" Mrs. Weasley said with glee. She jumped up and nearly ran over to her son and daugher-in-law. She kissed them both and couldn't resist placing a hand over Fleur's stomach.

_Why do people, sometimes perfect strangers, think it's acceptable to grope a woman's stomach just because she's pregnant?_ Hermione thought, as she observed the scene, bemused.

Mr. Weasley came over to shake Bill's hand and give him a hug, and Fleur a hug and a kiss.

"You'll be a Grandad, Dad!" Bill laughed.

"What's so funny?" Mr. Weasley asked. "Just because I become a grandfather, doesn't mean I have to start dressing like old Dumbledore does it?" The living room laughed heartily at the thought of him dressed in the flamboyant robes that the grand old wizard used to wear.

Mr. Weasley went to the drinks cabinet and opened a bottle of port, which was much more agreeable to the pallet than firewhiskey. Fleur allowed herself a small drink. Hermione found herself next to Ron for the moment after everyone had congratulated the couple.

"How does it feel Ron? You'll be an uncle?" Hermione smiled.

"Weird. Mega weird!" he answered.

"You'll have to remember birthdays and all that kind of thing now," she said good humouredly.

"Oh crap! I'm hopeless at that sort of thing," Ron replied.

_Yes, I know you are_, Hermione thought. "You'll have to get something like a Remembrall or something that hits you over the head to remind you," she said.

"I always thought you'd be the one, out of the two of us, to remember all that kind of thing. It's always the wife that keeps track of the birthday dates, cards and gifts isn't it?" he said completely serious.

"Sometimes," she couldn't help shaking her head slightly. "But for the huge number of men out there who aren't married, a lot manage all that kind of thing by their ickle wittle selves." she said slyly.

Ron just sort of 'harumphed' in reply, either not impressed or not even believing her.

Hermione decided to move on and talk with George. He was always willing to talk about new merchandise and any of the goings on in Diagon Alley. He had been to Hogsmeade a few times to check up on his branch there. Apparently Madam Rosmerta had tried to flirt with him when he called into The Three Broomsticks for a beer. That was nothing new, Rosmerta flirted with and tried to conquer anything in trousers with a heartbeat, male or female, but she didn't burst George's bubble and say that. Of course he himself already knew that, but his ego liked to think it was all for him.

The brunette was already thinking of Sunday night and being back with Ginny.


	31. Chapter 31

31

Ginny arrived at the Burrow in time for dinner. It was just, Hermione, Ron and his parents, but everyone congratulated her on the team's winning run and her brilliant performance.

Hermione wanted to go to her and wrap her in a crushing embrace, seeking out those velvet soft lips. Alas she was stuck with giving her a rather lukewarm hug.

They told her about Fleur's news and that she would be an aunt. She seemed very happy about that and said she'd send an owl off to Shell Cottage to give them her best wishes. Ginny seemed to be looking forward to buying little gifts for the child.

It was an odd thought, which Hermione had never had before, but she envisioned herself and Ginny with a child. In one way it made Hermione feel warm and complete, in another way it didn't feel quite right, or something she wasn't sure about. The truth was, she had never thought about having kids with Ron. It was a likelihood if she had stayed with him and married him, but the deep serious thought of it had never taken root in her mind.

As they were eating dinner, with Ginny and Hermione's thighs close together as they sat side by side as usual, Ginny lowered her voice for her girlfriend's ears alone.

"How are you?"

"I'm great Gin. I've even been Apparating short distances now." the brunette answered quietly back.

"That's fantastic," the redhead peered around the table before whispering. "I can't wait to _see_ you tonight. Have you in my arms." Hermione felt a warmth spread through her entire being.

"What are you two whispering about?" Ron asked, in his usual tactless way.

"Nothing in particular, Ronniekins," Ginny hit back.

"I thought only school girls whispered together?" he added.

"You really need to get out and meet more women then!" Ginny said flatly, receiving a glower from her brother.

"Come on you two. Be nice!" Mrs. Weasley said, hoping to prevent any further sibling prattle that could turn nasty.

Dinner seemed to drag on and Hermione didn't realize it for a while, but she had begun to jig the heel of her right foot impatiently under the table. _If time doesn't bloody well hurry up I'm going to jump Ginny right now_, Hermione thought, _bugger whether it's in front of everyone! _

They moved to the living room still talking about the quidditch match and the implications of the Weasley's becoming grandparents and aunts and uncles. Hermione's devious mind thought of a little plan to get away sooner.

"So did you get any bruises yesterday? Any battle wounds?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Not much. Although one of their beaters was an absolute brute, he looked like he might have been Grawp's lovechild!" Everyone laughed.

"Is there any bruising you want me to take a look at, that the Harpies' staff didn't treat? Use some of your mum's potions on?" Hermione asked looking at her intensely, hoping that her hint was getting through to Ginny.

"Not re...," the redhead began, then looked at her girlfriend's face again. "Now you mention it I did get a hit to the ribs and hip."

"Let me see to those for you," Hermione offered innocently, as any best friend would.

Mrs. Weasley wasn't fooled and was trying to hide a smile as she observed them.

"A little dab of that healing potion should do," Ginny's mother said to them as they got up to walk towards the stairs. "Sometimes it's easier if it's applied when the patient is lying down," she added.

Both women spun around to see Mrs. Weasley looking at them with an amused face, which thankfully her husband and Ron couldn't see.

They climbed the stairs with Hermione getting more impatient with each step. Ginny was in front and it was all Hermione could do, to stop herself reaching forwards to squeeze those toned glutes in front of her.

Ginny reached her door and Hermione almost barged them through it as she turned Ginny around and pressed her lips urgently against hers. A tangle of arms, hands and tongues, and finally breaking off for air.

Hermione felt a tear roll down her cheek. The redhead reached up and brushed the tear away with her thumb, looking at Hermione with devotion and adoration.

"It's a happy tear," Hermione explained as another one fell. "You're back with me again. That makes me very happy."

"Me too," Ginny said, as they embraced close again, Ginny kissing and suckling on Hermione's neck, and inhaling the scent of her girlfriend.

"What are you doing?"

The women jumped back at the sound of a voice. They hadn't closed the door in Hermione's impatience to get here and there stood Ron.

"What?" Ginny asked, aware that she was blushing, so was Hermione.

_Charm your way out of this one, Granger_, Hermione thought to herself.

Ron looked at Hermione and saw she had teary eyes and walked a couple of paces into the room. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Ron," she replied, rather annoyed.

"I see one of my best friends looking upset and obviously needing a hug, of course I'm worried?" Ron said still studying Hermione. "It looked like you were kissing her neck, Ginny, you were hugging her so tightly?" he tittered.

"Did it? That's an odd observation?" Ginny said, trying to play it cool.

Both women were blushing very obviously now. Ron was looking at them suspiciously.

Hermione had a few thoughts going through her mind. _Ron is often slow on the uptake, but he can usually smell a rat_, she thought again, _except for his own rat, which was actually Peter Pettigrew. But the point is, he knows when something is odd and doesn't add up._

"Something's going on here, and I want to know what it is?" he said irritated.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because my sister is trying to hide something and acting odd, and my best friend is looking upset," Ron said.

Hermione sighed, she looked at Ginny and shrugged her shoulders, flicking her eyes towards her brother as if to say _'Perhaps it's time we told him'_.

Ginny didn't look too happy with it, but they weren't going to get any rest if they didn't tell him, and if they lied he would probably know it and keep badgering them until they did tell the truth; not before going around and asking every one of their friends what they thought of it all.

"Alright!" Hermione said almost snappy. "We'll tell you."

Hermione took in another deep breath, and was aware that Ginny copied her.

"Ginny is..."

"She's pregnant too? Bloody hell, I knew that would happen! Does Harry know?" Ron jumped all over her words.

"NO! I'm not pissing pregnant, you dozy twerp!" Ginny shouted him down. "What Hermione is trying to tell you that she is..."

"Oh god, _YOU'RE_ pregnant Hermione? Bugger! I'm so sorry! I thought there was something Mum would know to do for that."

"RONALD WEASLEY WILL YOU KINDLY SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Hermione yelled at him.

Ron actually took a step backwards; he had rarely heard Hermione swear and certainly not the f-word and certainly not directed at him, however much she had ever been annoyed with him in the past. It worked, because she now had his undivided, albeit disturbed, attention.

"Ron. Ginny and I are together, you know, girlfriends?" said the brunette.

"Yeee..sss. You've been friends since Hogwarts?" he said, still not grasping the idea.

"We sleep together," Hermione added, hearing Ginny's sharp intake of breath.

"I know that too, you've slept in the same room since you first came to stay here," Ron said. He was either being very thick, or guessed what they were trying to say and was in denial.

Hermione growled. "Grrrrrrraaaaaaaaaarghhhh! Ron, don't you get it? Ginny and I are in love...with each other?"

"Huh?" Ron said, looking from one to the other.

"Ron you said you thought it looked like I was kissing Hermione's neck? I _was_ kissing her neck. She and I are lovers...L.O.V.E.R.S.!" Ginny said exasperated with her stupid brother.

"But you're girls?" he replied slightly numb.

"As usual, well spotted!" Hermione answered drily.

The room went silent, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and back at Ron. He was looking at both of them in turn, blinking, and looking not unlike Morty after Hermione had used her pacifiying spell on the elf, except he wasn't smiling.

"But how?"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, we're not going to demonstrate it for you?" Ginny said.

"I didn't mean _THAT_ bit!" Ron said back sharply. "How did this happen? WHEN did this happen?"

Hermione glanced at Ginny, flicked her eyes exasperated and mentally rolled up her sleeves.

"Not long, just before I was captured I suppose, but we've only been together truly since a few days after I got back here."

"I can understand why you wouldn't want anything to do with men Hermione, after, you know, _him_. But isn't this a bit drastic when you were still not feeling well and not entirely yourself? And you Ginny, I don't know what your excuse is? Taking advantage of her?" Ron babbled on. "They always say you have to watch out for sporty women..."

"Ron, I did not fall for Ginny suddenly, on the rebound, in an anti-male stance or delirious on sleep potion. I fell in love with Ginny years ago. I've always loved her," Hermione said honestly.

"Then you were...when we..."

"Yes, I'm sorry Ron," Hermione said, and seeing that he was potentially on that fragile ground leading to an outburst of anger, she quickly added. "That's not why we broke up though. I loved you, but as I said, only as a brother. It wasn't a lover's affection. I didn't break up with you to be with Ginny. She wasn't even aware of my feelings and not even available when you and I split up. But knowing _how_ true love felt, I did know even more that I couldn't marry you, because I didn't feel that for you."

"Well, this is just bloody marvellous. My girlfriend dumps me for my sister!" Ron looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh, cry or have a temper tantrum. "So what's your story Gin? I'm guessing Harry doesn't know about this?"

"No he doesn't," Ginny spoke quietly. "Ron, I had a thing for Hermione years ago, but I never thought she would think of me that way, so I gave up on her and focused on Harry. But as you know we were always on and off," Ginny sighed. "It's mostly private Ron, but things happened and my feelings for Hermione came to the surface again and being with her I know for certain that she is my _one_, and Harry never was."

"Does he have any idea, though?" Ron asked.

"No. No, I don't think so. But I suppose, now that _you_ know, we ought to tell him," Ginny looked down in thought.

"I think he deserves to know," Ron said in a bit of huff. "I still can't believe it. You're going to start laughing any second and tell me how gullible I was to believe you?" he said almost hopefully.

"Sorry Ron, we're not joking," Hermione said quietly. "I love Ginny, and I'm in love with her. Plain and simple. We're a couple."

"Ha! I bet you don't dare tell Mum?" he said, as if trying to gain a small victory.

"She knows," Ginny said, watching her brother's eyes widen in disbelief. "She told us she knew and she's OK with it."

"Yeah, right, are we talking about the same mother? I DON'T THINK SO!" he laughed. "Mum thinks you two humping each other is fine? _RIGHT!_"

"As a matter of fact I do, Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley said as she appeared in the doorway.

"Mum?" a startled Ron spun round to face her. "OK, this is a dream, I'm going to wake up any second?"

"Ron, do grow up!" his mother verbally slapped him.

"But? What about you wanting Hermione and I together? And Ginny and Harry? And having little Weasleys and Potters running around?"

"I would still love those things, but it's not what these two women want. After everything we have all been through since before that last battle, do any of us really have the right to stand in the way of true love and happiness?" Mrs. Weasley said philosophically. "Learn to accept them Ron, I do," his mother said as she walked over to Ginny and hugged her and did the same to Hermione.

Ron was left kind of opening and shutting his mouth with no sound coming out and he left the room in a manner that could only be described as a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Don't worry about him. He'll come around eventually. It's just a little hard for him at the moment. He doesn't like to think of anyone else having you, Hermione, and that person being his sister too," Mrs. Weasley said.

"We had better tell Dad too, I suppose?" Ginny said, making to walk towards the doorway.

"No need," her mum said. "He knows."

Ginny looked hard at her mother.

"I didn't tell him, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "He guessed it for himself not long after I did. He might be a man, but he's a damn good one," she said smiling proudly.

"Is he...is he alright about it?" Ginny asked nervously.

"Of course he is. He says it's all rather good because he won't have to worry about either of you having men problems, if you have each other," Mrs. Weasley looked off into the distance. "Such a romantic man."

Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione, and both couldn't stop a snort of laughter, which brought Mrs. Weasley out of her thoughts.

"All I will say is this, neither of you had better hurt one another or I'll come after you! I mean it!" Mrs. Weasley said fiercely while pointing her finger at both of them.

"I believe you!" Ginny said hugging her mother.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Apologies for this chapter, it is a blatant bit of fluff and a blatant excuse to visit a certain place and to play with a character I like a lot...my own little tour of the Potterverse. I will say, that I refer to/tie in small elements of this chapter to other ones to come though. ;)**

32

Later that night, after getting their breaths back from a bit of bedroom athletics, with Hermione testing out Ginny's fitness in more ways than one, they settled together, Ginny resting her head on Hermione's chest, an arm wrapped around her, as the brunette played with strands of Ginny's hair.

"I'm almost relieved, that Ron knows," Hermione said.

They hadn't talked much after Mrs. Weasley left them and instead the tension of it all and the previous impatience of Hermione to get her hands on her girlfriend, made the pair head straight to bed.

"I think I am too," Ginny replied after a moment or two.

"He's going to be difficult, but we knew that anyway. Ron's difficult about everything!" said Hermione.

"We _will_ have to tell Harry. And soon," a resigned Ginny said. "I'm not looking forward to that. It's almost better to have him just find us, like Ron did."

"I'm not putting on a show for _him_!" Hermione laughed.

"I should hope not," said the redhead placing a kiss on the breast she had been resting her head on. "I hope you only do that for me."

"How on earth are we going to do this, Gin? Telling Harry? Do we invite him over? Or go to the Ministry to see him?"

"I think it might be best to go over to Grimmauld Place," Ginny said. "At least that way, there won't be people around to witness anything if he takes the news...in a way we don't expect, or would rather not experience in public."

"Should we go over tomorrow night then?" Hermione pondered.

"Yes...let's get it over and done with."

"Bollocks!" the brunette suddenly uttered.

"What?"

"It's just that I'd rather do this without Ron around and lately he's been mostly living with Harry?"

"Hey, maybe those two have an announcement too?" Ginny laughed.

"That would solve a lot of problems!" Hermione said with beguilement.

"Well, what can he do? Honestly? He knows about us and that's it. He knows it's not his business to tell Harry, unless we don't do it soon ourselves, so let him watch or listen at the door if that's what he wants to do?" the redhead said thoughtfully.

"You're right. I'm flustering when I don't need to. We'll go ahead and do what we want to do, and bugger what Ron does or thinks."

"Exactly!" said a confident Ginny

The two women were silent for a long time, lost in their own thoughts about how telling Harry would go, as Hermione continued to play with Ginny's hair.

"You're going to send me to sleep if you keep doing that?" Ginny mumbled out.

"I've always loved your hair. More times than I can remember I nearly had to physically restrain myself from reaching out and touching it."

"Really?"

"Yes. In my dreams I did get to touch your hair. Then I would wake up disappointed that I couldn't really touch it, then keep myself double-restrained because I had been so used to touching it in my dreams and was afraid I'd just reach out for it without thinking."

"And does my real hair live up to the standards of 'dream' me's hair?" Ginny asked interested.

"Real you hair is ten times better than my dream version." Hermione bent her head forward and kissed the top of Ginny's head, inhaling the flowery scent of that gorgeous auburn hair.

"Well that's alright then. I don't have any competition." the redhead chuckled.

Hermione let out a huge yawn.

"I think someone needs to get to sleep?" Ginny smiled against the soft flesh she was lying her cheek on.

"You tired me out Ginevra Weasley."

"I must show more consideration in future and remember you're an older lady."

"HEY!" Hermione said, then snorted with laughter. "Besides which, I'm only one year older than you!"

Ginny raised herself up, looked into Hermione's eyes, and leaned in to share a warm, gentle kiss.

"I love you whatever age you are," Ginny said. "And I'll admit it, I think you tired me out a little too, you sexy woman!"

Hermione drank her sleeping potion and she and Ginny settled down for the night together. They tried not to think too much on what they planned for the next evening, and just enjoy their closeness and safety of sleeping in each others arms.

XXXXXXXXXX

Over breakfast, Ginny and Hermione told Mrs. Weasley what they were going to do; and the older woman thought it was a good idea to tell Harry in the privacy of Grimmauld Place too. They sent off an owl to Harry, asking him if they could go over to his place in the evening to talk to him; asking for a reply as soon as possible.

Not really knowing what to do with themselves for the day, Ginny suggested something a little unexpected. A trip to Hogsmeade.

"I had considered Diagon Alley, but I didn't know how you felt about there being more exposure to the public there. It's up to you though?"

"I would like to go to Hogsmeade, but you'll have to Apparate us both still, because I haven't tried much in the way of distance yet?" Hermione answered.

"No problem. I thought it would be nice to have a walk around the village and then have a butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks," Ginny said happily.

The pair went upstairs to get ready, which in this case was just putting a couple of things in Hermione's beaded bag. They were about to leave through the kitchen door when an owl fluttered in. A large grey owl with immaculate feathers and a proud stance. Mrs. Weasley removed the letter from around its leg.

"It is for you two. It's a reply from Harry, by the looks of it."

Ginny walked over and retrieved the letter from her mother. She opened it and read the short reply.

_Dear Ginny and Hermione,_

_This evening would be fine, I'll make sure I'm back a good time. I hope all is well with you both? See you this evening._

_Love Harry_

"Not surprisingly, he thinks something is wrong with one of us? He's probably guessing it's me," Hermione said.

"Well, we'll get to all that this evening. For now, we're going to have a nice time in Hogsmeade, OK?" said a purposeful Ginny.

"Yes m'am!" Hermione replied with a grin.

"See you later Mum," Ginny said as she manoeuvered Hermione through the kitchen door.

"Have a lovely time, and be careful, if you..."

"Yes yes, we know, if Hermione so much as stubs her toe, I'll get her back!" the redhead said, rolling her eyes at her mother, who had by now planted her hands on her hips trying to think of a comeback for her daughter.

A fast flash, followed by the familiar pulling and spinning and squeezing feeling and Hermione found herself standing on grass. She still held Ginny's hand, but her head hadn't quite caught up with her body, and her stomach still felt partially back at the Burrow.

Ginny led her to a large tree stump and sat her down. They had Apparated to a place outside the village on a pathway leading into Hogsmeade, which they both new well.

"That's a longer trip than we've done before. I didn't think, sorry. It might take a few more minutes to get your bearings," the redhead said as she sat next to Hermione, still holding her hand, between both of hers.

"I'll be fine," Hermione said. "I'll be glad when I can Apparate distances again myself though."

After a few minutes Hermione stood up. "I'm good now, let's walk through the village shall we?"

Hermione walked by Ginny's side and linked arms with her; then they found themselves holding hands. It didn't bother either of them; after all, good friends would often hold hands. Right at that moment though, neither of them could care less what other people thought about them holding hands.

The main street through the village hadn't changed much, and apart from a couple of new shops, which included George's second branch, it looked as it always did.

There were only a few people out and about and no Hogwarts students, thankfully, as it was a Monday. The two women walked right through the village, looking at all the shops and buildings as they passed, and walked out a little way, up to the fence to gaze upon the Shrieking Shack.

"I look upon that place with such mixed feelings," Hermione said as she stared at the wonky building, that looked ready to collapse like a pack of cards.

"I can imagine," her girlfriend said.

"We first met Sirius there, and Pettigrew and learned it was a haven for Remus to transform. And then there were the goings on that night of the last battle, with Snape's death there. So much time, so many people gone, do I smile or cry?" Hermione said thinking out loud.

"I can't tell you that, love," Ginny said quietly, bringing Hermione's hand to her lips. "Maybe it's possible to feel both. Whatever the case, we can't change anything...sadly."

"Hmm, that's true."

"I _can_ tell you, that I'm so glad you made it through all those trials then, and now. I'd never know what I know now, and I'd never know you, in the way I do now."

Hermione turned to look at Ginny, her eyes were glistening, but she refused to let any tears fall.

"I don't know how to answer that?" Hermione said at a loss for words.

"Then don't say anything," Ginny said. "I can see what you feel in your eyes, it doesn't need words."

Ginny pressed her lips to Hermione's, and then they hugged each other.

Neither had looked at the time, as they had strolled leisurely through the village before they stood here looking at and talking about the Shack. Hermione glanced at her watch and saw it was almost lunch time.

"Let's have some lunch at The Three Broomsticks as well as a butterbeer?" she said.

"Sounds good to me." the redhead smiled. "We could go to The Hog's Head instead if you want to?"

"As much as I like Aberforth, I'm not in the mood to smell goat today." Hermione said with a giggle.

"Me neither!" Ginny agreed.

They walked into The Three Broomsticks, and it was yet another place that hadn't changed. Hermione made her way over to a table in a corner, where it was possible to see the rest of the pub and anyone coming through the door.

Ginny was about to turn and walk to the bar to order the butterbeers first, before they thought on lunch, when Madam Rosmerta walked up to her.

"Hello Ginny!" the barmaid said jovially. "I haven't seen you here for a long time?"

"I don't always get the time these days."

"Of course you don't! You're an amazing quidditch player. So graceful on your broom. I don't think there's anyone looks better up there on a broom" Rosmerta carried on, with a gleam in her eye, holding herself a little more upright like a preening bird.

_I don't believe it, Rosmerta is trying to hit on Ginny, that woman does go for anything with a heartbeat_, Hermione thought amused, then, _Wait a minute, Rosmerta is trying to hit on MY girlfriend._

Hermione gave a little deliberate cough, as if from a dry throat. As Ginny turned around to look at her Madam Rosmerta could then see past Ginny to her companion.

"Hermione?" the barmaid said, almost in disbelief.

"Hi Madam Rosmerta," the brunette replied.

The woman took it upon herself to sit at the table, and she leaned over and lowered her voice.

"I heard about that nasty bit of business, with the Court case and everything," the older woman said, as she reached across the table and patted one of Hermione's hands. "You have more guts than the whole Ministry put together."

Hermione didn't really know how to answer so she just nodded and smiled. Thankfully Madam Rosmerta was so used to her customers telling her their life story and all their troubles that she also understood when someone didn't want to talk.

"I won't say no more, it's not my business and I know you don't want to be coming here and going through all that again. But whatever you want while you're here, it's on the house."

"That's very kind of you." Hermione answered. "And thank you about the other thing. I haven't been out much lately, but we thought it would be nice to come here. More nice memories here than bad."

"So what would you both like?" Madam Rosmerta asked, standing up again waiting for their order.

"You're going to think I'm really odd," Hermione said. "But it's something I always relate to my having as a child."

"Which is?" Ginny asked.

"Baked beans on toast," Hermione said, closing her eyes, waiting for the laughs or the disgust or derision.

"I love that!" Ginny said. "We'll both have that, and two butterbeers please."

"Anything for dessert girls?"

"You choose, Ginny."

"Hmm, strawberry cheesecake."

"Done," Madam Rosmerta said. "I won't be long."

"I never knew you liked baked beans on toast?" Hermione asked with peaked curiosity. "I thought it was a very muggle thing?"

"Beans on toast has reached the magical world too, you know?" said an entertained Ginny.

Rosmerta brought their order to the table in minutes, still seeming to give Ginny an extra warm smile and swaying her hips a bit more, which bugged Hermione a bit. They began to tuck into their beans on toast, sitting opposite one another, enjoying each other's company as always.

"I love that there's so much I still don't know about you Ginny Weasley. Even if it is odd things like food." Hermione said.

"I'm sure the same is for me about you too. It's half the fun of being together, we'll learn about and love each other as we go through each day together."

"You're quite the romantic. Sounds like you get that from your parents?" Hermione grinned.

"Oh pllleeease?" Ginny scoffed. "Don't put me off my food!"

"I know, one never likes to admit that their own parents used to and probably still do get hot and heavy with one another," Hermione said, half thinking out loud.

"Hermione, unless you want to wear your strawberry cheesecake, please shut up about my parents doing _anything_ with each other!" Hermione laughed as Ginny threatened her with the cheesecake.

They enjoyed their slightly strange meal thoroughly and were then finishing their butterbeers when Hermione noticed that Rosmerta was looking over towards Ginny again_. She's all but fluffing her own hair up and adjusting her bosom_, Hermione thought. _hmmm I think it's time she knew that Ginny is not about to be her latest conquest!_

"Ginny, come and sit next to me," Hermione asked.

Hermione's side of the table was actually a sofa type seat as it was against the wall. Ginny gave her a quizzical look but moved to sit next to her. The brunette reached for her girlfriend's hand which caused Ginny to turn more towards her. In that split second Hermione leaned in a planted a kiss on her lips, tenderly holding her face in her hands.

"What?" Ginny asked slightly shocked that Hermione was kissing her in the pub, not shocked enough to jump back, but enough to look a bit uncertain. "I mean, why? Sorry, you've kind of got me off balance."

"It's alright Gin. I should have given you some warning," Hermione said. "I was trying to show _someone_ that you were taken."

"Who?"

"Rosmerta of course!"

"Rosmerta?" Ginny asked, eyes wide, taking a sip from her butterbeer.

"You mean you didn't notice all the little looks and smiles, and all through lunch she's been practically puffing her hair up and polishing her tits!" Hermione said with no hidden disgust.

"_Pffffffft_!" Ginny nearly spat her butterbeer out and ended up coughing instead. _Ah ha,_ Hermione thought, _again,_ _it's not me spluttering, for a change!_

"Hermione!" the redhead laughed. "Just how does a woman _polish_ her tits? It's news to me."

"Whatever!" Hermione said, still a bit flustered and annoyed. "The point is, that woman would shag you in a second if you so much as fluttered an eyelash at her. I was just trying to show her that you were taken." Hermione had the grace to blush now.

"Ah, I see," said a very amused Ginny. "Possessive? Jealous? Don't you trust me?"

"I'm not normally like this," Hermione said in a timid voice. "Of course I trust you. I don't know why I'm like this now, that woman has just got under my skin today. I suppose I'm very proud of you too, and I'm so in love with you...," she tailed off trying to think of the right words. "I just don't like people thinking they have a chance with you. Great, now I _do_ sound like stalker." She looked down, studying her hands.

"Hermione?" Ginny said, getting her girlfriend to look at her. "I like that you want people to know I'm yours. I like that you're possessive over me. It actually feels pretty wonderful. And if you must know I feel like that about you too. If Ron tried to sniff around you again I'd soon teach him about castration."

There was a small silence, then Ginny seemed to feel inspired.

"Well, I suppose we had better make it good hadn't we?" the redhead said.

"Make what..."

But Hermione was cut off as Ginny kissed her. Not a small elongated peck on the lips, but a deep, passionate kiss. It made both of them almost forget they were in one of the best known pubs in the magical world.

Ginny broke the kiss and placed light kisses along Hermione's cheek, reaching an ear.

"Is the horny old bat looking? Did she see us?" Ginny whispered between kisses on Hermione's ear and cheek.

Hermione half opened one eye and sure enough Madam Rosmerta was looking their way. She was wiping a glass on a tea towel, but wiping it absent mindedly as she gawked at them with her mouth open.

"Oh yeah. She's seen us alright." Hermione said, feeling very satisfied.

They made a point of not looking to the bar again as they finished the last of their butterbeers.

The barmaid made her way over to their table again to collect their plates and glasses.

"Is there anything else you would like?" said Rosmerta, no longer grinning and preening in Ginny's direction, but just acting as their friendly pub landlady and smiling very warmly at both of them.

"No thank you. Lunch was excellent. Thank you again," Hermione said. "We ought to be getting back."

"You're always welcome here anytime ladies," Rosmerta said. "I rent out rooms too, you know, and I'd give you a discount if you wanted to stay?"

Hermione didn't know where to look. _Ha! I think we succeeded in plan A._

Somehow Ginny kept a straight face. "Perhaps another time. It might be a nice getaway in the future. Thanks again," said Ginny as they both made to stand up.

"Lovely to see you both again," Rosmerta said with a twinkle in her eye. "Take care of each other," she added with a knowing smile, before making her way back to the pub's kitchen.

Ginny got hold of Hermione's hand and they walked out of The Three Broomsticks. They walked for a few yards before both cracked up laughing.

"Did you hear that?" Ginny laughed. "Oh god, she thinks we need a room now! And we have to _take care_ of each other!"

"I know, it was priceless!" Hermione added. "At least the old flirtface knows you're off the menu now!"

"Hmm, kissing you in there was extremely sexy. The reason for it and everything, turned me on a lot." The redhead admitted, smirking.

"Should we rent a room then?" Hermione jested.

"Can you imagine if we did? That old nymphomaniac probably has a spyhole into all her rooms to get herself off to everyone else's doings!" Ginny said only half joking.

"Ewww," was all Hermione could answer to that.

"Well, let's just give George's shop a look then we'll get back to the Burrow."

"What shall we do until we go to Harry's?" asked Hermione, not ready to spend time fretting over things yet.

"You can help me look through those boxes in the attic Mum wanted me to sort out weeks ago. I never did get very far with them after you stormed out of the house that day," the redhead smiled. "You never know, it might even be fun?"

"That sounds good...anything to use up some time," Hermione agreed.

After a short stop at George's shop in Hogsmeade, both being impressed with what they saw, they made their way back to the place they had Apparated to earlier, to make the return trip.

They arrived back at the Burrow, and made their way into the house, with Hermione once again hoping she could Apparate properly by herself soon as she was getting tired of the drunken sensation she got everytime she was Side-Along Apparated by someone else.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Thanks everyone for sticking with this. :) This update includes ****Chapters 33 & 34.**** This 2-chapter arc I call "Little Problems & Firsts".**

33

The afternoon had been more fun than Hermione had anticipated and certainly didn't feel like they were just trying to take their minds off their impending situation with Harry.

The couple of boxes of Ginny's old things, made for many moments of laughter, poignancy and all kinds of memories rolled into one.

Hermione had found photos of her and Ron together, both smiling apparently happily out from the photo with Ron attempting to keep putting his arms around her. There were Harry and Ginny ones too from Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. They both had a few groans and plenty of deliberate exclamations of "yuck" and "eww".

The two women had some dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then went upstairs to change; now they were ready to travel, but neither felt exactly ready to tell Harry anything.

As they stood in the yard of the Burrow, they gave each other a look and as Hermione took Ginny's hand to Side-Along Apparate, she gave it an extra squeeze of encouragement.

They arrived in the garden across the street from Grimmauld Place, Hermione shaking her head to stop the dizzy, nauseous feeling, although she suspected the latter wasn't helped with anticipatory nerves.

"Let's get this over with," Hermione said, almost from gritted teeth.

Hermione could almost see Ginny steel herself, as they walked across the street and waited for Harry's house to appear between the muggle ones. Having been trusted for so long within the Order and as best friends of Harry they never needed a key or magical password and he was happy for them to walk in without knocking. Hermione wondered if they would still be best friends and allowed access here after this evening.

Ginny made to lead the way down the hall; they hadn't walked two steps when Kreacher appeared before them, immediately looking at them as if he expected them to show him their passports and papers to be allowed further.

"Master is in the kitchen," the aged elf told them before turning and walking in that direction, expecting them to follow him.

The kitchen had always been the life and soul of this house; meetings, meals, celebrations, it all happened in the kitchen, which doubled up as a dining room and had a small lounge area at one end.

As they walked through the door they saw that both Harry and Ron were there, sitting at the table, with Ron seated at an end and Harry at the side. Both men were sipping from glasses or what appeared to be lager, or maybe one of those horrific sounding beers that Ron had given Harry for his birthday. Harry was reading through papers and Ron was looking at the evening issue of the Daily Prophet, and both looked up as the women entered.

"Hello!" Harry said. "Do you want a drink or something to eat?"

"No, that's alright, we only just had dinner with Mum and Dad," Ginny replied.

Hermione and Ginny seated themselves at the table; Ginny sat next to Harry and Hermione sat opposite. They had decided that as Harry was Ginny's ex-boyfriend, that she would do most of the talking, and Hermione would be there as back-up. Kreacher had left the room so it was just the four of them.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about? It sounded kind of vague and ominous in your letter?" Harry asked intrigued.

"It's a little difficult and incredibly awkward," said Ginny, not really knowing where to start.

"Is this anything to do with Hermione's case?"

"No," Ginny said. "Although it does kind of involve her."

Ron gave a unsuccessfully muffled snort of derision from behind the newspaper he had decided to half hide behind. Harry stared in his direction wondering what was funny.

"Ron, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Ginny asked, deciding already that she was unhappy with his presence right at the table with them, and that maybe Hermione had been right about not wanting him around.

"I don't. I thought I'd stay here, if that's alright?" her brother said, although not actually asking for their permission. Ginny was about to protest but Hermione stopped her.

"He can stay, as it does kind of involve him too," shrugged a resigned Hermione.

"Is anyone going to start making some sense here?" Harry asked, puzzled.

Ginny, took a quick sharp breath, straightened her shoulders back and went straight into it, trying not to think about her annoying brother sitting a few feet away.

"Harry," she said firmly. "Hermione and I are together."

Harry looked from one woman to the other. "Yeah, you arrived together? So?"

_Oh for Merlin's sake_, thought Hermione, _surely Harry isn't going to be as thick as Ron to grasp things?_

"No, I mean we're _together_ together," Ginny continued, then seeing no real sign of understanding from the black-haired man in front of her. "Hermione is my girlfriend...," with still no realization in Harry's eyes she added. "She and I love each other, we're _in_ love with each other."

Harry looked at Ginny, then turned his head to look at Hermione across the table, the brunette wearing a slight blush.

"Oh," said Harry almost blankly.

"Oh?" Ron said, putting the newspaper down. "Your recent girlfriend tells you she's in love with your best friend and all you say is oh? _Pffttt_!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Hermione turned and glared at Ron using one of her dangerous scowls on him. He looked back at her, a bit less certain of himself.

Harry didn't say anything else for a few awkward moments then turned his head to look at Ron.

"You knew?" he asked, sounding ruffled.

"Yes," Ron said.

"You could have bloody hinted?"

"Harry, that blustering twerp only knew last night!" Ginny added quickly.

"And you're only here because I told you he had a right to know?" Ron said back fiercely.

"We would have told him," Hermione said quietly, feeling bad about the whole thing.

Ron uttered another "_Pffffttt_" of derision to that.

"How long?" Harry asked in an even, calm voice. "How long have you been together?"

"We were only just getting together before Hermione was taken. But we've only been properly together since Hermione got back from...you know," the red-haired woman told him.

Harry had an incredulous look on his face. Although he had broken up with Ginny and it had felt like the final time, a part of him always expected them to get back together, maybe in a few months or so. In those split seconds, he was going through the reasons why Ginny and Hermione had got together so fast and how it could have happened and probably thinking of the same things Ron had; that Hermione wasn't well enough to know what she really wanted and that Ginny had got caught up in it. Or something like that.

Hermione recognized that same look as Ron had had, and decided to confess it all.

"I've loved Ginny for years," she said, trying hard to remain eye contact in Harry's direction. "I never thought she would feel the same."

"I never thought that either?" Harry said, looking at Ginny questioningly, sounding more and more disgruntled.

"Harry, I had a crush on Hermione years ago, but I never thought it was anything other than a silly schoolgirl thing, so I tried to forget about it," Ginny told him.

"So, you never loved me, and that was all fake to cover up your real feelings for her?"

"No Harry. I loved you, I will always love you," Ginny looked sadly at him. "But what I feel for Hermione is...I can't describe it, but it's shown me that had I married you, I would have been lying to you, and maybe after a while I'd realize that something was missing...," she tailed off.

"That's going to make him feel a _lot_ better!" said a sarcastic Ron, causing Hermione to scowl at him again.

"So how did you do it?" Harry said, surprising Hermione as he directed his question to her. There was definite ire in his voice now. "Did you use a love potion? Meddle with her emotions in some way, like you did with that bloody elf?"

Hermione opened her mouth in shock, not knowing what to say.

"Harry!" Ginny said sternly. "She didn't do anything of the sort!"

"Well, you would say that wouldn't you?" he said.

"She didn't need to use those things. I can see for myself and know she is a beautiful woman, both inside and out," Ginny told him simply.

Harry got up and walked around the table to the kitchen sink on Hermione's side of the room, leaning his hands on the edge of it, trying to take calming breaths.

"I'm so sorry Harry," Ginny said. "I wish it were different, I wish I could be the one for you, but I'm not."

"I suppose you two had a good laugh at me behind my back?" Harry said disdainfully. "Laughing at my marriage proposal, wondering how long you could string me along, before I found out?"

"No, no, that's not how it was," Hermione said. Harry turned his head and gave her a glare, equal to the kind she had been giving Ron. _This isn't going well at all_, she thought, _and I thought he would be easier than Ron._

"Be fair, Harry," said an annoyed Ginny. "You kept pushing me away and breaking us up only to let me back in again. I never knew where I really stood with you for years?"

"So you thought you would punish me and move on, blatantly in front of me, to _Hermione_?" he replied with venom, turning to face them properly, his arms folded in front of him.

"It's not about punishment or anything as low as hurting you. I hate hurting you, we both do," Ginny said. "We can't help how we feel, Harry."

"Obviously, you just can't _help_ yourself!" Harry spat out, letting much more anger surface.

Ron looked at his friend concerned; even he could see that things were not going well at all.

"I'm so stupid. That day in the attic, when Hermione left the house upset; I should have known she didn't care about me and she was angry to see you were still with me?" Harry almost growled. "You lied to me, Ginny!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry Harry, I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth. It's not easy, you know. But I didn't lie, I just didn't...correct you," his ex-girlfriend tried to explain.

"And you Hermione, sitting there talking to me, wanting to know if Ginny and I had broken up for good? You lied to me too!" he shouted at her.

Ron got up and walked over to his side and patted Harry's shoulder.

"Mate, think about it? What would you have done had they told you at those moments?" Ron asked. "It wouldn't change anything, except perhaps a public display instead?" he tried to smile.

"After everything we've all been through I thought you two would understand that all I ask for is the truth; some honesty! I've had a gutful of lies!" Harry said angrily.

"It's bloody hard for us too, you know?" Ginny said. "Despite how progressive the world is these days, you have no idea how hard it is to wonder how people will accept you because you find yourself in a same-sex relationship? All the while having to deal with the horrors of what Hermione has been through!"

"I'm sure you _helped_ her with that?" Harry said in an unfamiliar voice which could only be described as nasty.

"Look, we told you," Ginny answered. "Yes, it's much sooner than we would have chosen. But once Ron found out, we agreed with him that you deserved to know too. We didn't have to be here! We didn't have to tell you at all! But because we _do_ care about you, we decided to be here now!"

Harry looked so wound up and angry, and he also had tears threatening to fall from his eyes; whether it was pure anger or for losing Ginny forever, it was hard to be sure. His hands by his sides were in tight fists, occasionally clenching and unclenching.

"I think you'd better go," Ron said quietly to his sister and Hermione.

For a person that acted like a prize idiot a lot of the time, Ron could surprise people on occasion, with how well he read certain situations. He might have added some unwanted sarcasm to the evening's events earlier and harboured some frustration himself, but he could see when things weren't going the right way and was ready to diffuse the situation. At this moment he could tell that Harry wasn't thinking straight and was close to taking things too far.

"Yes, why don't you leave and go back to your bed and shag each other merrily now that I'm out of the way?" Harry spat with disgust, he turned his back on them again as he gripped onto the sink.

Ron made to touch his arm, but Harry flinched violently. "Stop patting me! I'm not a bloody cat!"

Ron jumped back, but looked to the two women again, letting them know they really should leave.

Hermione rose from her seat and looking at Harry's back, she could see he was shaking, from anger, tears, or both, she didn't know. It upset her, after all he had done for her. The situation couldn't be helped, as she and Ginny were meant for each other, but she hated to seem him like this.

The brunette had to walk past him to get to the door and as she reached him she reached out a hand to his arm.

"I'm so s...,"

"Ron I told you..."

The next thing Hermione knew she was on the floor. Harry had thought Ron was trying to calm him down again and had fiercely pulled his arm out of the other man's grip, but unfortunately he realized too late that it was in fact Hermione who had touched him and he had elbowed Hermione full in the face and floored her.

"You ruddy idiot!" Ginny shouted, running around the table to get to Hermione.

Harry looked stunned as he spun round and found Hermione on the floor, with Ginny rushing to her and even Ron moving fast to be at her other side. He just watched dumbly, not really understanding anything, and too numb to move or talk and still fuming with a seemlingly misplaced fury.

"I...I...I'm...I...," was all he could say.

Hermione felt a little dizzy, and it seemed her nose was bleeding, as Ron was quick to get a cloth, rinsed it in cold water and held to her nose. _Why is it always me_, Hermione thought slightly stunned, _is it "let's bash-up Hermione year", or something?_

"Can you take her home, Gin?" Ron asked his sister. "It's just I think it might be a good idea...like now. I'll deal with this and talk to him," he added, nodding to Harry.

Ginny nodded to her brother and briefly looked up with disgust to her ex-boyfriend, who was still looking stunned, standing there, looking down on the scene. She knew deep down it was an honest accident and Harry would never have hit Hermione deliberately, but she was so annoyed with how he had taken the news that she felt justified in letting her own anger show in her menacing glare at him. She wrapped an arm around Hermione and Apparated from the spot, back to the Burrow.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley almost jumped several feet into the air as Ginny and Hermione appeared in the middle of the living room, where they had been enjoying a cup of tea and were listening to the radio. Ginny had meant to Apparate them to the kitchen, but she was so annoyed that her aim was a little off.

"What on earth are you doing?" Mrs. Weasley uttered, holding a hand to her chest. "Why did you feel you had...,"

Mrs. Weasley looked at the two women properly now. She could see Hermione was a bit dazed and that Ginny was holding a cloth to her girlfriend's face with blood on it.

"What happened?" Mrs. Weasley asked, shocked. When she didn't get an answer immediately she almost shrieked. "Ginevra Weasley, you will tell me what happened this very minute!"

Ginny looked from Hermione up to her mother, not wanting to tell her, but knowing she would have to.

"It was Harry," she answered her mother.

"Harry? _Our_ Harry?" her mother asked incomprehensibly.

"What other Harry's do we know?" Ginny said still very miffed about it all.

"Why? What ever made him...? What was he thinking?" the older woman rambled, trying to make sense of it.

"He didn't mean to," Hermione finally spoke, sounding a bit stuffed up from her nose issues. "He was angry and I went to say sorry as we were leaving and he sort of lashed out, thinking it was Ron trying to calm him down."

"Even so?" Mrs. Weasley said, still trying to make sense of how the whole thing happened.

"Molly, don't you think it would be best to get your potions out first?" Mr. Weasley said, putting an arm around his wife. "I think Hermione would like that nose to stop bleeding, then we can talk about what happened, yes?"

Mrs. Weasley blinked a couple of times, and shook herself out of her stupor.

"Of course, what was I thinking?" she muttered to herself as she went to get her potions.

"She won't go after Harry, will she?" Ginny asked her father.

"No. I don't think so. I'll keep an eye on her," Mr. Weasley said, thinking.

His wife came bustling back and as Hermione moved herself from the floor to sit on the sofa Mrs. Weasley attended to her nose. Hermione drank an all too familiar healing potion which almost instantly cured the nosebleed and then Mrs. Weasley dabbed some potion onto a clean cloth and pressed it to the impact on Hermione's face and that stopped the swelling and would prevent and heal up any bruising.

"So, I gather things didn't go very well this evening?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"No. It went worse than we imagined, Dad. He was accusing us of all kinds of things and coming up with quite ridiculous stuff. It looked like even Ron thought Harry was taking it too far."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Mrs. Weasley said. "He's very hurt. I think he always thought that you would be there for him and just as Ron doesn't like anyone having Hermione but him, Harry doesn't want anyone but him to have you, dear."

"I know," Ginny said. "But he made Ron look reasonable tonight!"

"You also have to remember that regardless of the history, you both split from your boyfriends to be with each other, in their minds you were essentially dropping them for their best friend or sister," Mr. Weasley said knowingly. "It will take a bit of time. I'm sure they'll come around eventually, but there _is_ a chance things won't be the same again between you all."

"I know, Dad," said Ginny sadly. "We can't change how we feel. I love Hermione. We wish we didn't have to hurt anyone, least of all Harry and Ron, but she comes first to me now, and if it means I never have Harry as a friend again, then I'll make that sacrifice."

Ginny's parents looked at her proudly, both clearly seeing the truth in her words and her depth of feeling for Hermione. The latter was staring at her girlfriend feeling so much love and pride she was afraid she might burst.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, much less stuffed up, now her nose was nearly completely healed. "All I've done is bring your house change, drama and misery lately," she continued, sounding very down.

Mrs. Weasley put an arm around her and Ginny sat before her taking her hands in her own.

"Nonsense, dear," the older woman said kindly. "Nothing that has happened is your fault. Just as you can't change the dreadful ordeal you had to endure, nor can you change how your heart feels."

"I for one, am very glad you are here," said a smiling Ginny.

"But, if I wasn't around, you wouldn't have all these dramas to deal with, and friends being against friends, brother against sister," a weary Hermione managed to say.

"We can't worry about things that can't be changed, dear. As I've said before you are most welcome here for as long as you want to stay. We've loved having you with us and being able to help you." Mrs. Weasley said warmly.

"Besides, Molly couldn't survive if she doesn't have at least one crisis a week!" Mr. Weasley said, earning a menacing frown from his wife which turned into a loving grin and a roll of the eyes. They all had to have a little laugh at that, and the tension very much lifted from the room.

It wasn't long before Hermione and Ginny decided to turn in for the night. They didn't make love like they had most nights recently, instead just sharing a kiss and cuddle.

"If I'd only just left and not bothered to linger, none of this would have happened," Hermione berated herself.

"Bloody hell, you're not going to apologise for Harry hitting you, are you?" Ginny asked in surprise. "You're not going to take the blame for that, I can tell you that right now!"

"If I hadn't touched his arm then we would have left without incident?" the brunette continued to debate.

"Maybe it will serve to knock some sense into Harry! I saw his face, looking down at you, he didn't know whether to cry or run from the room! He needed a boot up the arse, maybe the shock of seeing what he did to you will help him see a bit of reason about everything."

"I wish no one was hurt from us being together, but I don't regret being with you for one second, Ginny. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Hermione said seriously, kissing her girlfriend. "Don't ever let me mess this up?"

"As long as you don't let me mess it up either?" Ginny smiled.

"Deal!" said Hermione, sharing another sweet kiss.

"Hmm, we'd better get some sleep now. I have training in the morning," said a yawning Ginny.

Hermione took her sleeping potion and was very glad of it, because despite how they had all talked, she still felt deeply troubled by the evening's events at Grimmauld Place.

**A/N: I allowed Hermione to voice a little groan of complaint to me about always putting her through the wars. I gave Hermione her own "Why is it always me?" Neville moment. :)**


	34. Chapter 34

34

A normal day ensued. Ginny went to training and Hermione spent her time looking through the rest of the books in the box she had looked at a week or two ago. Hermione and books would always have a close relationship.

Ginny got back before dinner, and they were then finishing dessert when they heard a knock on the door. Four heads all turned to the door surprised, because very few people visiting the Weasley's ever knocked. Friends and family were so welcome, they just walked in.

Mr. Weasley got up and answered the door. As he opened the door he took a step back.

"Harry?" he said, not expecting to see the man standing outside and knocking. "Why did you knock?"

"I didn't think it would be appreciated to just walk in, after last night?" Harry said plainly.

"Ahh," Mr. Weasley said thoughtfully. "True."

"I just wondered if I could come and talk with you all?" the black-haired man asked nervously. "With Ginny and Hermione really?"

Mr. Weasley turned around to look at the three women, back at the table; Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione overheard the whole conversation and the two Weasley women slightly huffed at the idea.

"I don't want to bloody talk to him," Ginny said in a whisper. "I tried that last night and what did it get us?"

"I think we should let him in, see what he has to say at least?" Hermione surprised them all.

"After what he did to you?" her girlfriend said astounded.

"It was an accident," Hermione continued. "If we don't like what he says we can send him away with a flea in his ear," she said beckoning to Mr. Weasley to let Harry in.

"Hmph, he'll have more than a flea in his ear...," Ginny muttered under her breath.

Harry walked in, and made his way over to the table, sitting in one of the empty chairs. In the light they could see his face clearer and that he looked extremely nervous and also...

"Harry! What happened to your eye?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she was able to see in the light of the kitchen that the man was sporting a black eye.

"Ginny, you didn't tell me, you hit _him_?" her mother asked annoyed.

"It wasn't me?" Ginny said, raising her hands up in innocence.

"It wasn't Ginny, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said. "It was Ron actually."

"Ron?" Hermione said in disbelief.

"I deserved it. I acted like a complete prat and hurt one of my best friends and then stood like a dummy, still fuming because I couldn't get the girl I love to love me back." He looked down ashamed. "I'm so sorry Hermione, I never meant to wallop you one in the face?"

"I know," Hermione said. "It was all a mess last night. I know it was hard for you, it must have been, but things all got a bit too tense and that's when accidents happen."

"I'm pleased to see Mrs. Weasley or Ginny attended to you and you don't look like me." said Harry quietly and still very apologetic; then he turned to Ginny.

"I'm sorry Ginny," he said. "I thought we would always end up together. I just didn't handle it well when you told me. I'm not disgusted or anything like that, I'm just very sad that you didn't choose me. And of course it was hard for you both, I was just being too much of a thick berk to understand it."

Ginny's face softened a little; she could see Harry was being genuine and that he was talking from the heart.

"So, why did Ron actually strike you?" Mrs. Weasley asked curiously.

"Oh that, well, the girls had just left and he kind of confronted me over hitting Hermione like that and when I...well I said something selfish about Ginny not being mine anymore and he punched me," said Harry to a very attentive audience.

Hermione had her hand over her mouth in amazement, and Ginny was trying very hard not to smile at her brother's actions.

"He said that I might have lost my girlfriend but if I didn't get...what did he say now?...'if I didn't get my head from out of my arse and wake up to myself, then I'd lose two of my best friends not just my girlfriend'," said a very abashed Harry. "And he wasn't too happy about Hermione being hurt at all, and I deserved at least some of that back...which is fair."

"Ron said all that?" Ginny asked incredulous.

"Yeah, but with a few more expletives," he replied.

"Well," Hermione said, sighing. It was an uncomfortable long pause before anyone spoke again.

"Apology accepted. We don't expect you to be happy about us, Harry, but if possible, I don't want to lose you as a friend?" Hermione said.

Ginny took in a deep breath. "I agree with Hermione. We've all been through so much together, it would be a shame if we couldn't stay friends. But I realize how awkward this will be for you?"

"I'll be truthful, I'm finding it hard," Harry answered. "But I don't want to lose either of you from my life. Give me some time." The black-haired man rose and went to the door to leave.

"Thanks for letting me in," he added. "You would have been completely in your right to refuse to speak to me."

Mr. Weasley saw him to the door and patted him on the back as he left. Once the door had been closed again and Mr. Weasley came back to the table, Ginny couldn't resist a small 'whoop' of joy.

"Way to go RON!" she laughed. Then seeing her parents giving her a disapproving look and Hermione only mildly smiling she added. "OK, maybe that was a bit inappropriate. Anyway, it's all gone better than I thought it would."

"Yes, it seems so." Hermione answered, realizing that another potential hurdle had been all but cleared.

XXXXXXXXXX

The week went by quite normally, with Mrs. Weasley finding all kinds of things for Hermione to help her with around the Burrow.

Hermione decided she would go to the match with the Weasleys on the Saturday, and Mrs. Weasley was happy for her and genuinely delighted to have another person to pack up some snacks for. Hermione didn't tell Ginny she would be going; partly because she wanted it to be a surprise when she told her she'd been and partly because she wanted to allow herself the option to back out at the last minute. So she saw off Ginny on the Friday morning in the normal way, wishing her luck and looking forward to seeing her Sunday again.

The Saturday match was a home game against Montrose Magpies, and it looked like being a good match. Hermione didn't really care which team was the opposition as she would have her eyes on only one player.

As the day arrived Hermione felt a few butterflies, for many reasons, but she was mostly excited to see Ginny play. It had been a long time since she'd been to one of her matches.

Mrs. Weasley took the familiar wicker picnic basket with them, for all the eats. Bill wasn't there as he had decided to spend a quiet weekend with Fleur, so it was just George and Ron in addition to their parents and herself. Mr. Weasley Apparated Hermione with him and she soon forgot any dizzyness on arrival as she was very impressed by the Harpies stadium.

There were quidditch fan witches and wizards everywhere, wearing various items to show their support for their team. With a Harpies home game there was a lot of green and gold being worn. Hermione hadn't thought about wearing appropriate colours, so she bought a Harpies scarf from a vendor outside the stadium. It wasn't cold weather that day, but she felt like she was taking part in the spirit of it all.

The next surprise was discovering that the Weasleys didn't just have ordinary tickets. As they climbed two flights of stairs in a side stand of the stadium she assumed they would be following the other fans through to the terraces, until George steered her along a gangway and again prodded her to turn into a room. It appeared that Ginny had a box for the use of her family or guests. It was lovely, with comfy seats, carpet on the floor, and a superb view. Ginny's success over the last couple of years obviously had enormous benefits for everyone, particularly her family, who no longer had to brave the elements with the regular fans.

"It's impressive isn't it, dear?" Mrs. Weasley said, seeing Hermione looking around wide-eyed, as she set down and opened the picnic basket for people to help themselves when they wanted to.

"I had no idea? I thought we'd be out in the crowd?" she replied.

"It's a brilliant view from here, Hermione." said an enthusiastic George.

"The only thing is, everyone can see us, as well as us seeing out to everyone. All the boxes get peered at...like a child looking into a sweetshop; all hoping to see a famous face as a guest at the match." Mrs. Weasley said. "We usually get a box allocated to us at away games too, although we often share away boxes with other Harpies players' family and friends. All good fun."

"So, Ginny can see us?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Yes, dear," the older woman answered. "She occasionally waves as she goes past, although I wish she wouldn't and would just concentrate on the match!"

Hermione smiled. _Ginny will see me, as I see her_, she thought amused and almost childlike. She ate a small sandwich, but was a bit too excited by the day to want any more.

Ron had been keeping back and it was obvious he was avoiding her, so Hermione felt bold and sat down next to him before the match proceedings started.

"I heard about you punching Harry," she said to him. "Well, I _saw_ what had happened."

"Yeah, well it was a confusing evening wasn't it? Everyone was mixed up," he replied, trying to brush it off, as well as brush off some actual crumbs from his shirt, as he ate a sausage roll.

"Thanks Ron."

"For what?" he asked her.

"You stuck up for me, but more importantly, you tried hard to keep us all together," she turned and smiled at him. "And I think it might have worked."

Ron couldn't help a blush creeping to his face, as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I just thought it seemed mental, that we'd all faced death together, but something like this would split us all up?" he looked at her. "We're better than that, we're stronger than that. I'm not saying it's easy, thinking of you and Ginny, but I'll have to get used to it, won't I?"

Hermione leant over and kissed his cheek. "Ron, you're an amazing man. I hope you find someone who truly appreciates you."

Her former boyfriend, went quiet and blushed a deeper red and was seemingly saved by the teams coming out onto the pitch and being announced to the crowd.

_Where are you? Where are you, gorgeous?, _Hermione thought as she looked out to the pitch from her comfy seat in the luxury box. _Ah ha, there you are!_ She felt a fluttery feeling in her chest as she set eyes on Ginny, looking stunning in her Harpies quidditch kit.

As predicted, Hermione couldn't have told anyone much about the finer details of the match as she was almost continually tracking a certain chaser in green.

Ginny moved so fluidly on her broom, dodging bludgers and less than fair opponents. Hermione particularly liked a dummy move Ginny performed to make the keeper think she was shooting for the righthand hoop while she twisted and shot it through the lefthand one.

With all the Weasleys frequently jumping out of their seats and shouting, it was hard not to be taken along with them and Hermione joined in. So far Ginny hadn't flown by her family's box, mostly taking part in the match on the opposite side of the stadium but after an hour with the score tied at 80-80 the Harpies seemed to change their formation to try something different.

The red-haired star chaser was now flying mostly on her box's side, but it was only when she was deliberately blocked from progressing forwards in front of their box, and her opponent took a kick at her, causing the referee to blow his whistle for a penalty, that Ginny turned to look at her family.

Hermione met Ginny's eyes, hoping the surprise wouldn't put her off and cause Ginny to lose focus on the match. Ginny's eyes went wide, then she gave the biggest of grins, beaming at her girlfriend, before she went back to the match.

It was a little later, with great satisfaction, that Hermione spotted Ginny giving a huge kick at the player who had fouled her, making much better contact with them, but brilliantly out of sight of the referee.

"Bloody good one Ginny!" Ron shouted out; the mostly Harpies home crowd who had seen it too, were cheering madly.

"I'd have done more than that!" George said.

"Absolutely, I'd have hit them hard on the back of the head and...," Mr. Weasley didn't get to say anymore as his wife was giving him a frosty look. "And then, called it even and got on with the game," he said, altering what he had been going to say.

Ginny scored from two more terrific attempts to add to the ever increasing total and the Harpies had pulled into a clear lead of 120-80 now.

Although Hermione was greatly enjoying watching Ginny playing so well, she was also aware of the score and wanted the seeker to catch the snitch and seal the win. For the first time, she briefly looked away from Ginny to see where the Harpies' seeker was.

It was a few moments of searching. "Ron, where's the seeker?" she asked him.

He pointed in the direction of behind the Harpies goal hoops. As luck would have it, as she set eyes on the woman, with flowing jet-black hair, the seeker suddenly took off and went into a vertical dive.

"She's going for the snitch!" Hermione said excited.

The rest of the stadium had noticed as well and a roar swept through the crowd, as the commentator also picked up on the movement.

The seeker swerved several players, dodged a bludger hit at her by one of the opposition beaters, suddenly pulled her broom up with her hand outstretched...and she caught the snitch. The Magpies' seeker hadn't even come close to catching their opposite number, let alone get anywhere near the snitch.

The Weasley box were all on their feet cheering, as they watched the Harpies celebrate and do several victory flypasts around the stadium, before descending to the pitch and shaking the opposition's hands and the referee's.

"So how do you feel, Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley said, coming up to stand behind her.

"Great! It was brilliant!" the brunette enthused. "You'll have me tagging along every Saturday now."

"We're glad to have you with us," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I suppose we get back to the Burrow now?" asked Hermione, still buzzing from the match and the atmosphere and not really wanting to leave.

"Not just yet, dear," the older woman said. "Ginny usually pops in for a few minutes."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, she usually looks in on us. I'm sure she will today, as you're with us." Mrs. Weasley smiled at her.

Hermione was now excited and flustered in a whole different type of way. She felt as heady as a schoolgirl, or more accurately like a groupie waiting in line for an autograph. _Or_, she thought, _like a horny goat, wanting to greet Ginny in the the changing rooms and strip off her sweaty clothes and shag her thoroughly! _she paused in thought, _behave Hermione, you're in public! _She still couldn't prevent a grin from reaching her lips, at her favourite kinky fantasy.

"What are you grinning about?" Ron asked.

"I've just had an amazing day!" Hermione said, and it was partly why she was grinning, so not a lie. She wasn't willing to share her other thoughts with him.

About half an hour later, by which time the stadium had just about emptied, and Ron had eaten several more sausage rolls and a couple of sandwiches, the door to the box opened and in walked Ginny wearing a Harpies tracksuit.

"Hey-up there everyone?" she said happily.

"Ginny, dear, you were brilliant, as always!" her mother said, going up to her and giving her a hug.

"Fantastic, Ginny," her father said hugging her. "I particularly liked how you handled that foul, what a great kick, though I would have...," he tailed off as Mrs. Weasley glared at him again. "I would have done the same," he finished meekly.

"Bloody great!" George said, joining in the hugs. "You should have hexed the git!"

"I thought about it, believe me!" Ginny laughed. "I didn't want to risk getting a match ban though."

Ron hugged her and congratulated her too, which then left Hermione, still feeling like the small child in the autograph queue.

Ginny's eyes met her own, and they smiled at each other, before Ginny almost ran the couple of steps between then and threw her arms around Hermione.

"I can't believe you're here?" Ginny said delighted. "What a wonderful surprise!"

Not caring much about her family looking on at the scene, Ginny pulled back from the hug and placed a brief soft kiss on Hermione's lips.

"Awwww," said all the Weasley's, except Ron, who was trying to look anywhere but at the two women.

Hermione blushed profusely and Ginny looked a little embarrassed too, but couldn't take the smile off her face, hugging Hermione tightly again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"I didn't want to disappoint you, if I chickened out and couldn't go," Hermione said.

"So, what did you think of the match?"

"Brilliant! Although...,"

"Although what?" Ginny asked, curious.

"I didn't really watch anyone except you," a shy Hermione admitted.

"Well that's alright, I might have to get jealous if you only watched one of the other Harpies girls!"

"Nope, I only had eyes for you," the brunette paused. "Except when I watched the seeker go after the snitch, but we won't bother about her," she chuckled.

"You thought my performance was good, then?" Ginny asked amused.

"Great!" Hermione said, then feeling a little mischievious she hugged Ginny again and whispered. "In my mind, your after-match performance was even better."

Ginny snorted with laughter. "I'll try to live up to that tomorrow night!" she said in a whisper for Hermione's ears only.

The whole family had a little more time talking about the match with Ginny and had several laughs too, then Ginny had to leave to attend post match commitments to the team and to the Daily Prophet's quidditch reporters. Hermione had just been in a state of awe most of the time.

As Mr. and Mrs. Weasley packed up their things into the wicker basket, George came over to her.

"I've never seen Ginny look more happy, than when she set eyes on you today," he said to her.

Hermione didn't know how to answer that, and kind of blinked, and he surprised her by hugging her.

"You're good for her Hermione, and she's good for you," George continued. "And I think it's wonderful."

As things turned out, George offered to Apparate Hermione back to the Burrow, and she was on such a high she hardly noticed her first few steps back were slightly drunken from the Side-Along Apparating.

_What a day_, she thought, _what a bloody marvellous day!_


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Thanks for your kind reviews. **

**Apologies to fans of any other teams I make lose against the Harpies! ;) Hey, there's always next season. :) **

**This update includes Chapters 35 & 36. This 2-chapter arc is called "Winning"**

35

Sunday night, as Hermione was getting her breath back from a fantastic trip to 'happyland' thanks to the skills of her favourite quidditch player, she settled back into her lover's arms, feeling more content than she could ever remember.

"I think I'll have to try to get to every match now," Hermione said. "If that's the greeting I get when you come home?"

"You enjoyed the match though?" Ginny asked.

"I wouldn't say I'm a huge quidditch fan yet, but I loved watching _you_ play," the brunette paused, considering her next words. "I loved how the crowd responded to you and..."

"And what?" asked the redhead intrigued.

"And I felt so smug that, at the matches you're theirs, but away from the stadium you're mine." Hermione said, happy.

"Groupie! Stalker!" Ginny teased, with Hermione playfully swatting at her.

"Do your team mates know about me?"

"Yes," answered Ginny, without hesitation. "They knew you were friends with me and had heard you were staying with Mum and Dad. Then a couple of the girls pointed out that I was always talking about you, and turning red a lot," she laughed softly.

"And they're Ok about it?"

"No problem there, considering half the squad are into women!"

"Oh, right," said Hermione. "That's Ok then."

"More than OK," Ginny went on to say. "A couple of the team noticed you in the family boxes yesterday, they recognized you of course, from all your heroics. Let's just say, if some of the squad had their way, you wouldn't have been single for long had you not chosen me."

"Really?" answered a deeply flattered Hermione.

"Our seeker, Geri definitely liked what she saw!" Ginny scoffed.

"The one with the long black hair?"

"Hey? I thought you were watching _me_?"

"I was...but I told you I watched the snitch being caught," Hermione said, amused. "I wasn't looking at her in an inapropriate way."

"I know, just teasing," Ginny said. "Besides, how could you look anywhere else, when you have the sexiest player in the league as your girlfriend?" she laughed.

"Your modesty is so admirable!" Hermione laughed along with her.

She took her sleep potion and they both went to sleep with a smile on their faces.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure you want to do this today?" Ginny asked cautiously.

"Yes. I need to make a start at getting some more independence back."

"Let's start small and work from there, alright?"

Hermione nodded. She had chosen the Monday to try Apparating over further distances, with Ginny having the day off it worked all round.

"I know I can Apparate from the quidditch area to the kitchen with no problem, but I need to try some useful distances." said Hermione.

"Hmm, let's think a moment," said Ginny, then after a minute or two,"Do you remember that ruined deserted old church about two miles from here? We've been there a couple of times in the summers if you remember?"

"Yes, I know it," the brunette replied enthusiastically.

"That's a good place to start and away from prying eyes. I'll go first and you follow in about a minute, OK?"

"Sounds good to me."

Ginny turned on the spot and vanished, as Hermione waited a few moments, looking at the second hand on her watch. It had been about a minute and she thought hard about the derelict, creepy building, with ivy growing over much of the stone ruins. She turned on the spot and Apparated.

Hermione opened her eyes and there was the ruined church, with its sad squat tower, half missing, with ivy all over the stonework and wild flowers and weeds all around it. The grass was long and scattered with wild barley and sheep's parsley, just allowing the onlooker to faintly make out old broken gravestones, some leaning over within the thick vegetation. There was a narrow path around the outside of the church, which in truth was more a track, made by the very few walkers that came to look at the ruin, and passing animals, such as badgers and foxes.

"You made it?" a happy voice sounded behind her. Hermione turned to see Ginny walking up to her.

"That was pretty easy," the brunette admitted.

"Well, let's try it a couple of times, back and forth shall we?" Ginny suggested.

The two women Apparated to the Burrow and back to the church a couple of times and Hermione felt very comfortable with it, although the church itself would always creep her out slightly. It did that to everyone so she didn't feel too badly about that thought.

"Let's try somewhere else, a bit further," Hermione suggested.

"You're not feeling tired or dizzy?" Ginny asked, concerned. "We've done quite a bit for one morning?"

"No, I feel fine," said Hermione. She felt a little tired in truth, but not enough to affect her Apparating.

"Do you feel up to Diagon Alley?"

"That would be good," Hermione answered, looking forward to it already. "We'll try that one after lunch."

XXXXX

They decided on Apparating to just across the street from George's shop, and as before Ginny went first.

Hermione waited a few moments then concentrated on her destination. With no apparent difficulty she found herself outside George's shop in Diagon Alley, waving across the street to Ginny. There weren't many shoppers around so it had been the perfect trial.

While they were there, they popped in to say hello to George and had a cup of tea with him out the back of his shop. Hermione had begun to feel a little drained, Apparating could be tiring and she wasn't used to it again. Ginny saw her girlfriend trying to resist a yawn.

"I think we'll be getting back to the Burrow now," she told George, getting up.

"Nice to see you girls, you're welcome anytime," he said, giving both of them a hug.

Ginny and Hermione walked out into the street again, but Ginny took hold of Hermione's hand.

"I think I'd better Apparate us both back," she said.

"No, I'm fine," Hermione said. "I want to finish the day properly, and get myself back. I'll be fine," Hermione insisted. "I know the Burrow better than anywhere, so it's the easiest left till last."

"Alright," Ginny agreed. "I'll go first again."

The redhead turned on the spot and Apparated. Hermione didn't need to look at her watch and left it a few moments. She hardly had to concentrate on the Burrow as she was so familiar with the higgledy-piggledy house; she closed her eyes and thought of that house with all it's quirks. Oddly her mind went kind of blank and fuzzy. Hermione shook her head and tried to concentrate on the Burrow again.

With her feet touching the ground again, Hermione opened her eyes, ready to greet her girlfriend. And there before her was...a large white house on a hillside.

"Oh?" Hermione said outloud. "This isn't the Burrow?"

She was fascinated by the old house and why on earth she was here and not at the Burrow. The curiosity got the better of her and she walked up to the house, as she thought if anyone was home she could ask where she was, claiming she had got a little lost hill-walking or something.

It didn't look like anyone _was_ at home, and she could tell that it hadn't been lived in for a while. This fascinated her further, and she decided to walk nearer to it for a closer look.

Hermione peered in through a window, and it looked dark and she could see damp patches on some parts of the walls. _With a lick of paint and some cleaning, this would make a nice home_, she thought.

She walked around the back and found there were some boarded-up vents at the bottom of the wall, probably originally where air was let into a cellar.

_A cellar? A large house in the middle of nowhere? Not lived in for a while? It can't be_? she thought, feeling her chest tighten. _Why else would you be here if it wasn't?_

Hermione took several breaths of air, almost gulping like a goldfish taken out of its bowl. _I never saw Felgate's house from the outside?_ she thought. Then it came to her. _I probably saw it just as I was punched and knocked out, and forgot, but my subconscious mind hadn't forgotten._

Hermione didn't know what to think, or what to do for a moment. She wanted to run, but her legs were stuck like glue to the spot, she wanted to investigate the house further, but the fear in her chest wouldn't allow it. The only thing left was to try to Apparate back to the Burrow, straight away, Ginny would be worried that she hadn't shown up yet anyway.

Hermione closed her now very tired eyes and concentrated on the Burrow, but as she was about to Apparate, she felt herself fall and again felt that punch to the side of her head which had knocked her out all those weeks ago.

XXXXXXXXX

"Naughty, nasty girl!" she heard a familiar man's voice say. "What fortune I have! Nobody knows where you are. No one will find you. You're mine forever now, darling."

"Noooooo, you bastard, you're DEAD!"

Hermione startled herself awake, realizing she had been shouting out and had shouted herself awake. She was lying on the shaggy grass out the back of the house. Her head throbbed, and she raised a hand to rub where her headache was and found a sore place. She must have hit her head when she fell or fainted or whatever had happened to her.

_Bloody wonderful_, Hermione thought, _I'm still here, wherever 'here' is? _She had never asked where she had been held captive, and strangely it had never come into conversation as it wasn't important. Looking around her at the landscape, from her place on the ground, she guessed it could be Wales, the Lake District, Northumberland, Scotland or even Yorkshire. So many places in the British Isles looked like this. It might even be Ireland.

However, wherever she was and whatever had happened, a part of her was pleased with how she had shouted down at her nightmare vision of Felgate sneering at her. She still hadn't beaten it, but she wasn't cowering from him so much now.

"Right, what do I do now?" she thought outloud.

"I thought I heard someone out here?" a woman's voice said suddenly.

Hermione scrambled to her feet and spun round, whipping her wand out of her pocket at the ready. She was faced by the female auror with the spiked blonde hair and leather jacket she had met at the Ministry all those weeks ago when she had first met Morty. With that knowledge, she couldn't avoid the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end like a tom cat's scruff.

"Hey! Woah there!" the woman said, putting her hands out in front of her, in a calming motion.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked wary.

"It's my shift to guard this house." the auror replied. "It seems I was napping though...as you're here and seem to have been for a while?"

"Why are you guarding an empty house, when you know the occupant is dead?" Hermione asked, still holding her wand out in front of her, at the ready.

"Thanks to your work, it seems a lot of meetings between Death Eaters used to happen here. I know it seems unlikely, but we're hoping we might catch one trying to come here," the auror said. "I figured you weren't a Death Eater as they tend not to lie down on the grass."

"How do I know I can trust you to be what you say you are?" inquired a still nervous Hermione. "You might be working for the other 'lot' for all I know? It was, after all, rogue Ministry workers involved with my case."

"I don't know how to prove to you who I am? I could tell you my name?"

"That doesn't prove anything," the brunette snapped.

"True. Well it's Alexandrina Prewett, but most people know me as Alex or more commonly, as 'Prew'."

"Prewett?" Hermione recognized the name for some reason.

"Yeah, we've met before." Prew said.

"I know that, you were there the day I spoke to that house elf." Hermione answered still not convinced.

"No, not then, before that. I was at Bill Weasley's wedding. I'm a cousin, a few times removed or whatever they call it, so I offered to assist the guard duty that day. We didn't talk or anything but I saw you around, before all the chaos happened, anyway."

It became clear why the name "Prewett" was familiar to Hermione, it was Mrs. Weasley's maiden name. Nothing felt 'off' about the woman and she was almost ready to trust her, but her fast mind still wanted a little confirmation.

"What was I wearing that day? At the wedding?"

"Um, a lovely red dress with matching jewellery. Very sexy. I thought about asking you for a dance actually, but it never happened and then you disappeared." Prew smiled.

_Oh my god_, Hermione thought, _she was going to hit on me at the wedding? Bloody hell, is the magical world full of lesbians? _She couldn't help herself from feeling a warm flattered feeling deep down though.

"What alerted us that day to an imminent attack?"

"That would have been Shacklebolt's rather cool patronus. He let us know the Ministry had fallen too, if I remember correctly."

Hermione still wasn't completely happy, but she lowered her wand. "I'm sorry, but I find it hard to trust just anyone these days, and especially now I know what this house was."

"So what are _you_ doing here?"asked Prew.

"I was getting back to Apparating and trying out some places, and I was supposed to be going home, but ended up here." Hermione said tiredly. "I'm not sure of the reasons why, must be something in my subconscious came through and diverted my thoughts when I Apparated."

"Hmm," Prew thought. "That might be the reason."

"Where is 'here', out of interest?" Hermione asked, and seeing Prew looking at her amazed, she added. "I never knew where this place was, and was knocked out before I got a proper look."

"Oh I see," the auror immediately understood. "We're in Wales, in the northwest-ish, not all that far from the coast...I think we're in Gwynedd," Prew grinned. "I'm not always that good with geography. But there's a fantastic muggle castle ruin not far from here called Castell y Bere...not sure I pronounced that right? Anyway it's a nice place."

"Wales was one of my guesses, but I wasn't sure."

Hermione wondered what she should do. _Do I ask Prew to Apparate me? No, she's supposed to be on duty. The Burrow in Devon is a bit far to safely Apparate to in my current state. _Hermione quickly tried to think of another option, then it came to her. _Hang on a minute? Northwest Wales?_ _I'll Apparate to Ginny's house on Anglesey, which isn't as far, then I can floo to the Burrow_._ Goodness! Ginny was so near to me when Felgate had me? If only...no don't think about that now._

"You look like you're having some major internal battle?" Prew observed. "Anything I can help you with?"

"I was just thinking through my options."

"I can't Apparate you right now, but another couple of hours and I change shift, I could Apparate you then? Maybe we could go for coffee somewhere, I know it would be getting late but there's some nice quiet 24-hour cafes out there?" Prew offered.

_Great!_ Hermione thought sarcastically, _she's trying to hit on me here and now!_

"That's OK," the brunette said. "Now I know where I am, I can Apparate to a friend's from here."

"If you're sure? The offer still stands?" Prew said hopefully, then added "Anytime?"

"Thanks, but I'll be going now," Hermione replied. "People will wonder where I've got to."

Hermione took a last look at the house, which had been her prison in recent memory, unable to stop a small shiver travelling down the length of her spine, but she still felt she had faced it off and buried another piece of the Felgate puzzle which had been haunting her. She smiled at Prew, and raised her hand in a wave as she concentrated on Ginny's cottage. Turning on the spot she Apparated and thankfully she found herself in the living room of the cottage she had grown to love nearly as much as the person it belonged to.

Exhausted, Hermione flopped down in an armchair. She felt herself shivering again. It was early evening now and beginning to get dusky towards darkness, but she knew it wasn't just the cooler temperature making her shiver; it was a kind of shock of having faced down part of her nightmares. She had begun to feel a little queasy as a result.

Strangely she felt she couldn't move, and was rooted to the armchair. _Well, this is new_, she thought, _feeling glued to a chair?_

She didn't trust herself to work the floo network properly, and didn't fancy being taken to a rabbit burrow in a vast warren in the middle of nowhere instead of the Burrow itself. However, she was really pleased that she could Apparate again. The things that had gone wrong were purely through tiredness, allowing her nightmares to creep across to the place between waking and sleeping; so despite her current predicament, she felt proud of her progress.

Sitting in the chair, she curled up, bringing her knees up to nearly under her chin. _What do I do next?_ she thought. Then it came to her, _my patronus!_

She had slid her wand up her shirt sleeve on arrival at the cottage, but she pulled it out again, and thought of her happiest moments with Ginny, her whole body almost bursting with happiness on the subject. In no time at all, her otter patronus danced out of the end of her wand. Hermione decided she didn't need lots of words and could explain what had happened later, so she simply sent the message of _"I'm at your cottage"_ for her otter to take to Ginny.

With her otter off on the mission she had set it upon, she flicked her wand at the hearth and got a small fire going to take off the chill, then curled up in the chair again.

**A/N: Point of interest: "Alexandrina" was the real first name of Queen Victoria.**


	36. Chapter 36

36

Hermione drifted off to sleep, and almost immediately, there was Felgate. He was in her face, and she saw the shimmering blade of the knife as he pressed it to her throat. She thought about grabbing hold of his hand, then remembered she was chained at the wrists. However as she had thought about it, she moved a hand and discovered that she wasn't chained at all.

In slightly confused relief, Hermione brought her hands up to hold Felgate's hand away from her throat. Amazingly she was able to move his hand back successfully. His expression turned to fury.

"How dare you! You're chained!" he shouted.

She looked down and the chains were back around her wrists, but a thought then occurred to her.

"No, I'm not chained you sick psycho, you are!" she said just as firmly, and the chains disappeared from her wrists again and appeared on Felgate's ankles. _Interesting_, she thought, _maybe dreams are what you make them, on some level?_

"You can't do that!" Felgate shouted, the chains disappearing from him again. "I need to show you your place, mudblood. I own you and you need to be taught some manners."

The Death Eater approached her again his knife pressing to her throat once more, causing her to give a sharp intake of breath. _I wonder_, she thought, imagining that Felgate's knife had disappeared.

"What the fuck?" Felgate exclaimed in shock. He no longer held the knife and he looked aghast at his empty hand.

"You have no power over me, you pathetic sadistic bastard!" Hermione said back, feeling stronger and stronger. "You're dead, while I live. I feel everything, while you are but dust for the ants to piss on!"

Hermione was walking forward as she said every word, and to her great surprise and delight, Felgate had fallen backwards as he'd tried to back away from her. He scrambled to his knees as she reached him.

"You're nothing, you hear that? NOTHING!" she yelled at him. "I won, you lost and you'll always lose now."

Felgate looked unsure now, very unsure. She had her hand in a fist and landed a punch, hard against the side of the man's head. He fell over to the side and she kicked him between the legs as hard as she could several times, before kneeling on his chest and repeatedly punching his face.

"Do you understand yet? DO YOU?" she yelled, making her throat hoarse. Felgate's face was a bloodied mess and it didn't shock her that it was herself that had done this to another human being, because a part of her knew it wasn't the real world. Her knuckles hurt from making contact with the man's face again and again. "It's OVER!" she said landing a final hard punch, and for the first time her knuckles really hurt a lot.

"Yes, it's over," a voice said. "Come back to me?"

Hermione, was panting and shivering, and she opened her eyes and was greeted by Ginny's concerned face; the woman was kneeling in front of the armchair in her cottage on Anglesey.

"Ginny?" Hermione said slightly confused.

"Yes, love, I'm here," the redhead said.

Hermione blinked her eyes several times as if to clear her vision or to regain a sense of what was the real world again.

"I was so worried about you, we had no idea where you had gone? We all went looking for you when you didn't arrive at the Burrow." Ginny said.

"I'm sorry I worried everyone," Hermione said, feeling embarrassed as much as anything. "I sort of got diverted."

"We gathered, dear."

Hermione uncurled herself from the armchair and saw that Mrs. Weasley was there as well as Ginny.

"Where did you go?" Ginny asked. "We looked in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, your old flat, Harry's, Luna's, even that pub we went to in Suffolk? We looked here before, but you weren't here then?"

"No. I didn't know where I was to begin with, as there was just this big white house in the middle of nowhere," Hermione recounted. "I looked around it and it suddenly hit me that it was Felgate's house."

Mrs. Weasley was unable to contain a small gasp, and Ginny reached for Hermione's hand. "That's one place we never even thought to look," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I tried to Apparate again as soon as I realized, but I must have fainted or something, and the next thing I knew, I woke up on the ground and then met Prew."

"Prew?" Ginny asked.

"Do you mean the auror, Alex Prewett?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Hermione nodded.

"Why didn't she take care of you? Why didn't she offer to take you to the Burrow?" Mrs. Weasley asked incredulous, and probably ready to tear a strip off her distant cousin the next time she saw her.

"She did offer to Apparate me when her shift finished. But I declined," Hermione said and seeing the astounded looks on their faces she continued to tell them everything. "I wasn't entirely sure she was safe, because the only time I saw her was the first time I met Morty at the Ministry, although she told me she saw me at Bill's wedding. I asked her some questions and was fairly certain she was safe, but I felt a bit uncomfortable...she sort of...well..."

"What?" asked Ginny.

"As well as saying she loved my red dress at that wedding, she kind of asked me out for coffee," Hermione nearly closed her eyes, waiting for Ginny to explode.

"The bloody cheek of the woman!" Ginny said, much more calmly than Hermione expected. "I still think you should have stayed with her and let her Apparate you though."

_That was unexpected_, Hermione thought, _but nice, because it means Ginny truly trusts me._

"Yeah, well I wasn't thinking completely clearly, so when I found out I was in Wales I thought of your cottage," she smiled at Ginny. "I meant to floo to the Burrow when I got here, but I felt unwell and kind of decided to send my patronus. I'm sorry for all the worry."

"We've found you, that's the main thing," Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione then seemed to remember her dream and was now aware of how much her right hand hurt. She brought the hand up before her, still shaking slightly, and saw that the knuckles were starting to bruise and she had split open a couple of those knuckles. She couldn't straighten her fingers. _Wonderful! More damn injuries!_ she thought, annoyed with herself. _Did I walk under a ladder, throw salt over the wrong shoulder or just piss off the powers that be this year?_ Suddenly she raised her other hand to her mouth, shocked.

"Oh god!" she said, startling the other two women. "Did I hit either of you?"

"No," Ginny said. "But I don't think my armchair is going to be the same again, though!" she said cheerfully.

"I stood up to him. I had complete control when I realized that my dreams have _my_ rules and he has no power in them, unless I let him," Hermione showed a crooked, bashful smile. "I kind of pulverized him."

"We sort of gathered that when we arrived," Mrs. Weasley said. "You were thrashing around, and shouting. Before we got into the room we thought there was someone else here. But it sounded like you were winning, not in so much fear as the times I've witnessed before."

"Exactly," Ginny added, smiling with pride. "You were laying down the law. You must have really been into it, because we couldn't wake you when we first arrived."

"I think I can face him now and not feel that panic or helplessness," Hermione said. "So in some ways I'm glad today happened. It's helped me no end, I'm just sorry it had to cause you all so much worry."

"Yet again, I'll say this," Ginny said. "You're one incredible woman."

Ginny reached forward and brushed her hand against Hermione's cheek, cupping it, before leaning in to press her lips briefly to her girlfriend's. She was still very aware that Hermione was shivering.

"I think you need some rest, love. Let's get you to bed," Ginny said softly. "Mum will fix you up, won't you Mum?"

"It's something I've got very good at," the older woman said with a smile.

"Resting in bed, seems to be something I've got good at too," Hermione said with a lot of sarcasm.

Hermione noticed that Mrs. Weasley had a bag with her, no doubt carrying her potions and first aid items, prepared for any possibility.

With a little magic for speed and less bother they got Hermione into bed, and got her comfortable and warm. It wasn't even commented on that it was Ginny's double bed and not the guest room's single bed. Mrs. Weasley had guessed everything a long time ago, so it neither surprised her nor even bothered her.

They dealt with Hermione's hand first, which she seemed to have cracked the bones of two of the fingers near the knuckles. It wasn't pleasant to have broken bones healed, but it was a lot quicker and less trouble than the long muggle version of healing. Mrs. Weasley wrapped a bandage around Hermione's hand to make it more comfortable for her patient.

Next, the older woman dabbed some potion on the bruise they found to the side of Hermione's forehead, which she had incurred when falling to the ground at Felgate's house. Then Mrs. Weasley poured out some sleep potion.

"No, I don't need that now," Hermione said.

"Maybe not, but you're still shivering and mending broken bones can be uncomfortable. This way you get to sleep and heal without knowing it." Mrs. Weasley told her. "Just for tonight, OK?"

Hermione nodded, seeing the sense of it. She drank the potion and her eyelids grew heavy. Ginny leaned over and kissed her gently.

"Night, my love," she said softly. "See you in the morning."

Hermione drifted off to a dreamless, solid sleep, remembering with great fondness how Mrs. Weasley had looked from her daughter to herself, with nothing but love and adoration in her expression.

XXXXX

Stirring from a deep sleep, Hermione found herself pressed up against Ginny. She looked at her injured hand and found it was nearly completely healed, so with a little wordless magic she removed the bandage; she smiled to herself and with the arm she had trailing over that athletic body next to her, she hugged her girlfriend tighter. Ginny as usual, was aware of the movement, and turned in her embrace.

"Morning sexy," Ginny said with a cute smile.

"Morning gorgeous," Hermione answered.

"How's the hand?"

"All better," Hermione said, "see?" she held up her healed hand and waggled her fingers feeling no pain, just a little stiffness.

"I was worried sick about you, when you didn't appear at the Burrow?" Ginny said seriously.

"I'm sorry," the brunette said. "I should have let you Apparate us both back. But I think only good things came of my mistake."

"I can't imagine what it was like for you, when you realized where you were?"

"It wasn't a barrel of laughs, that's for sure, but I have my mistake to thank for really progressing forwards." Hermione said happily.

"I have to train today," Ginny half-groaned. "I wish I didn't. I'll floo you back to the Burrow first."

"Oh no you won't!" Hermione said strongly. "I'm going to stay here at the cottage."

Ginny smiled, partly for the determination of Hermione to do what she wanted and partly for being so happy that Hermione liked staying at the cottage with her.

"Alright, but on one condition," the red-haired woman said.

"What?"

"You write to Mum and tell her why you won't be showing up there today!"

Hermione gave a little gasp. "Oh my god! I didn't think! Did you get a roasting from your mum for letting me Apparate that last journey by myself?"

"I got a little bit of a bollocking, but everyone was more interested in finding you," Ginny said amused.

"Oops, sorry!" Hermione grinned. "I'll explain all that to your mum eventually too, I promise. It was all my doing. And let's face it, no one can pin me down when I have my mind set on something."

"Oh can't they?" Ginny laughed, as she rolled on top of Hermione, stopping her from moving.

"That's a different type of 'pinning down' entirely?"

"I like this version best, don't you?" Ginny said, lowering her head to kiss Hermione thoroughly. The kiss left them breathless, but Ginny broke it off.

"Sorry, as much as I'd like to finish what I've started, I have to get up and start the day...training," she groaned.

"You'll have to make it up to me later," Hermione winked.

"Abso-bloody-lutely!" said Ginny rising from the bed and making her way to the bathroom, to start her day, deliberately wiggling her hips for her girlfriend's appreciative gaze.

XXXXX

Hermione ended up staying at Holyhead for the rest of the week, only going back to the Burrow on the Friday afternoon. She didn't use the sleep potion anymore; Felgate appeared in her dreams occasionally, but she backed him down easily and even just stood laughing at him, genuinely looking at him in amusement at how deranged and pathetic he was.

A few times she had woken Ginny up, by talking or moving around in her sleep; with Ginny holding her close it almost added to her strength within those dreams. The moments of fear and terror had given way to Hermione taking control in the dreams and more often than not she was dishing out some of her own violence. It could have been seen as a disturbing twist in her mentality, but for now she thought it was much better than waking up scared and shivering.

It was feeling more and more like the cottage was home and the Burrow was just where the family lived. She was certain that she had reached that rather mushy stage of realization, that wherever Ginny was felt like home, regardless of the walls around them or the location of those walls.

The match on the Saturday was an away game at the Ballycastle Bats, and it was a little more special for the magical world as Halloween was on the Sunday the following day. Hermione was able to Apparate herself there this time, although making sure to get the correct location set in her mind first.

Hermione didn't know what to expect but as she made her way with the Weasley's to one of the boxes at the Bats' stadium, she saw that a lot of the crowd had dressed up a bit more than usual, with most of the younger fans in fancy dress.

The Weasley's were dressed normally as was Hermione, but she was already enjoying the atmosphere. Bill and Fleur had decided to attend this weekend, and Mrs. Weasley was determined to sit next to Fleur, probably to do two things; keep an eye on her, and give her all kinds of tips on child rearing. _Poor Fleur_, Hermione thought; so she decided to sit the other side of her, hoping to come to her rescue when needed.

George, Ron, Bill and Mr. Weasley were clumped together at one end of the box seats, talking to the father of another Harpies' player; one of the beaters. There were a couple of older women at the other end, and Hermione wasn't sure of their connection, until Mrs. Weasley leant across Fleur to whisper to her that it was the mother and aunt of the seeker Geri Llewellyn.

Very craftily Hermione looked at the two women out of the corner of her eye, and saw that both had long black hair, the slightly older of the two having the faintest of grey at her temples. _I should have guessed which player they were related to from the hair_, she thought.

Not long after her observation her attention was taken by the stadium announcer, introducing the players to the crowd. Hermione felt like a little excited girl again, rocking on her seat moving her head about to get the best view.

There she was, Ginny Weasley; she even got a decent round of applause from the predominantly Bats crowd. The red-haired woman waved to the crowd and mounted her broom. _Hmm, how I'd like to slide between her legs like that broom_, thought Hermione.

Fleur leaned in closer to Hermione and whispered mischieviously. "I bet you envy that broom, right now?"

Hermione's mouth opened, and then she went red as she turned to face Fleur, flabbergasted.

"How? What? Is it written on my forehead or something?"

Fleur laughed softly. "No, mon ami, remember what I told you, I just see things others don't."

"You could make money from that skill!" Hermione said, actually impressed again at how Fleur had all but read her thoughts.

Hermione suddenly wondered whether sitting next to Fleur for the whole match was a good idea at all, if the Frenchwoman was going to delve into her thoughts and frequently make her blush like a strawberry.

The quidditch teams had taken flight and the match began. As usual Hermione was watching only one player, although she did notice a rather large beater on the Bats' team. It was obvious he had had team orders to direct every bludger towards Ginny. _If only I could curse that enormous git_, Hermione thought, annoyed.

It looked like the Ballycastle Bats had done their homework and the Harpies were not finding a way through.

After fifty minutes it was tied at a tight 30-30. As previous matches, the Harpies moved around their formation to try their Plan B. It immediately paid off and Ginny and her partner chaser were knocking the goals in so regularly, it was hard to keep track of the score.

Two and a half hours gone and the Harpies lead was 180-50, and it was dangerous territory, with the Harpies needing to hope they added more to the score or caught the snitch soon, as they weren't quite far enough ahead.

"Get the ruddy snitch Geri, stop faffing about girl!" the seeker's aunt shouted, from one end of the box.

Hermione looked at Fleur and both women had a hard time not bursting out laughing. The aunt was right though.

Ginny scored another goal to make it 190-50 to the Harpies. _Just one more and we're safe again for at least a possible draw_, Hermione thought, amusing herself with her sudden tactical awareness.

"There's the snitch!" shouted George.

But it wasn't Geri Llewellyn in the lead pursuing it. Ginny had the quaffle again and was doing some fancy moves making her way to the opposition hoops again.

"Go on Ginny, bloody score quickly, before they get the snitch!" Ron shouted, even though everyone knew that the players couldn't hear a single voice from within the crowd.

Hermione turned her attention from the race for the snitch, back to Ginny. It was then she saw that her girlfriend was being tracked closely by the two opposition beaters, one of which was the huge beast of a man. Ginny dodged a Bats chaser and was nearly into the zone from which she would find it simple to score.

"They've nearly got the snitch!" yelled George. "Get on with it Ginny!"

She was in the process of setting herself to take aim and at the very same time the two Bats' beaters split off on each side of her, and timed it so that both bludgers were heading towards them, and almost in synchronicity they bashed them towards Ginny. She was about to throw the quaffle, but before she could release it accurately she was hit by a bludger to the head and one to her side.

Ginny's aim with the quaffle was ruined, as she almost fell off her broom, and the crowd gasped and then cheered for the Bats. Hermione watched the whole thing in horror. Ginny was still on her broom somehow but looked very groggy and was leant over it trying not to fall off. It had all happened in a split second, but almost seemed in slow motion to Hermione.

It was then the crowd cheered even louder, as their seeker zoomed past their box, showing off the caught snitch in his hand.

The stadium announcer was delighted. "The Bats win 200-190!" They've broken the Harpies winning streak!"

"The dirty gits!" Bill said disgusted.

"Evil fuckers!" shouted Ron.

"Ron, watch your language!" Mrs. Weasley admonished him.

Hermione felt a little guilty that she wasn't worried about the score as much as wanting to rush to Ginny to make sure she was alright. She hadn't realized it until now, but from the moment Ginny had been hit, she had stood up and was almost leaning right over the railing in front of the box, trying to see things closer.

"The Harpies medical staff will make sure she's OK," said Fleur, who had also stood up and was at her side.

"Until now, I'd forgotten exactly how dangerous quidditch can be," Hermione said.

"Ginny's tough, she's been doing this for so long now, she gives as good as she gets," Fleur said reassuringly.

Geri's mother and aunt were also disgusted with the result and seemed very hard on Geri, almost insinuating that the girl wasn't doing her job and was showing off doing everything other than look for the snitch. Hermione thought that was very hard, but in both the muggle and magical world she was well aware of pushy parents when it came to sports.

Mrs. Weasley had looked a little worried, but a couple of years of watching this had hardened her to accepting what happened and she tried to keep her fussing over Ginny's injuries to a minimum.

As the medical staff and a team mate helped a staggering Ginny off in the direction of the changing rooms, Hermione walked over to Mrs. Weasley and said quietly. "How do you get used to this?"

The older woman turned to her. "I never really get used to it, Hermione. A mother always fears watching their child on the quidditch pitch and what injuries they might get."

"I wanted to Apparate down there straight away."

"So did I, dear," Mrs. Weasley answered. "You just learn to worry in private and have faith in the medical people. I will say this though, I've seen her have worse, so she'll be fine."

Hermione wanted to feel that assured and thought it would probably take a bit of time to train herself to the scene before her. She badly wanted to see Ginny and talk to her and make sure she was alright, so much so, that she started to pace around in the box, and kept looking at her watch for nearly the next hour.

George came over to her. "Trying to wear out the carpet in here?" he asked.

"What?" Hermione said, only half listening. "Oh, sorry George, I was miles away."

"You're worried about Gin? Of course you are, but she _has_ had much worse," the tall red-haired man said. "She's been knocked out and fell off her broom a couple of times in the past and was back to health in 24 hours. She'll be fine."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" she scoffed.

"Yee...aaahh," George said realizing that it wasn't helpful. "The point is, she's a tough woman, and she's used to it all."

Hermione looked around the box and saw that it was only herself and the Weasley's in there now. The man and the two women had gone. George saw her looking around.

"They've all gone. I wouldn't want to be the seeker, those women looked ready to pummel her for not getting to the snitch first," he grimaced.

"I might pummel Ginny if she doesn't get up here soon to let us know she's alright!" Hermione said frustrated.

"You and whose army?" said a familiar voice behind her.

Hermione spun around to see Ginny standing in the doorway, in her green Harpies tracksuit, wearing a huge grin and the faintest hint of where a bruise might have been to the side of her face. Hermione went to her, hugged her gently, and then pulled back, putting a hand to her girlfriend's face, giving her a check over.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, unable to keep some worry from her voice.

Ginny got hold of the investigating hand. "I'm fine Herminone. Nothing a good medical wizard couldn't handle. I've had worse!"

"See? I told you," said George, amused.

"I can't believe we lost?" Ginny said, annoyed.

The other Weasley's had come over after hearing Ginny's voice. Mrs. Weasley had also given her a little hug and a crafty check over too, which made Hermione feel justified.

"It was a bloody dirty trick they pulled," Ron said. "A double bludger attack? I'd have given them a bloody double bludger attack, sent the bludgers up their arse, see if they can get to them there, the skanky fucking sods!" he said scornfully.

"Ronald!" his mother said again, clearly fighting a losing battle in trying to clean up her youngest son's language. "I won't have you swearing in front of my grandchild."

Ron looked at his mother bewildered. "Are you mental, woman? It's still inside Fleur, it's hardly learning swear words yet, is it?"

Mrs. Weasley glared at him and Ron didn't add anything else to the conversation for the moment. Hermione noticed Fleur had looked away, because she was trying hard not to show she was on the verge of cracking up laughing. Bill had to look the other way because seeing Fleur trying not to giggle was making him want to laugh more and Mr. Weasley suddenly found the fixture list pinned to the far wall of the box very interesting and appeared to be reading every single word of it.

"Nice to know we're all still just as dysfunctional as ever," Ginny said drily.

"I think Geri's family take the prize there!" Hermione said. "The way they were carrying on and shouting at her."

"Yeah, her family are pretty hard. Both her mother and aunt played for the Harpies years ago," Ginny told her. "I think they're still trying to live out their own careers through Geri."

"Poor girl," Hermione said.

"Hey? What about me? I was the one injured?" Ginny said, faking jealousy.

"I thought you said you were fine?" the brunette answered playfully.

"Well, mostly," said Ginny, hugging Hermione as she whispered. "But I always have places for you to kiss better."

Hermione's face went red. This time she was the one not daring to look at Fleur because she knew the Frenchwoman would know what had been said, within a little.

"Hermione, I have something to ask you, actually?" said Ginny.

"Ask away?"

"The Harpies are having a small Halloween party tomorrow night, back at HQ...well I say party, it's more like a get-together and players can bring along a guest or partner. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me? It's OK if you don't want to, I'd unde..."

"I'll go," Hermione answered straight away.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'd like to meet some of the squad," Hermione said pulling Ginny into another hug. "I will also love the opportunity to show everyone you're mine," she whispered.

Ginny couldn't contain a snort of laughter. "That's exactly what I was thinking...about you, that is," she smiled. "I have to get going again now, but I'll come and pick you up tomorrow evening from the Burrow, around 7pm?"

"I'll be ready...although, what's the expected dress code?"

"Well, it's not exactly evening gown or Tri-Wizard tournament garb, but smart casual. And you'll be staying with me tomorrow night too."

"Oh I will, will I?" Hermione said, jesting. _It's just as well I have some of my things over there now_, Hermione thought to herself.

"I insist!" Ginny winked.

"OK. I'll see you tomorrow then," Hermione smiled.

There were a few more hugs from the family and a small kiss for Hermione, and Ginny was gone again.

Fleur put an arm around Hermione and told her she had overheard Ginny asking her to the Halloween party. _At least she heard it and didn't read my mind or whatever the hell it is she does_, thought Hermione.

"Do you know what you're going to wear yet?" Fleur asked, excited for her.

"No. Ginny says it's smart-casual. I haven't been to any function for a while...well, unless you count that business at the Ministry Court," Hermione admitted, really beginning to wonder what to wear.

"You look wonderful in red," Fleur said.

"I do have a red silk shirt somewhere," said Hermione, thinking outloud.

"What about a red silk shirt and some classic black trousers?"

"Hmm, that sounds alright. It's smart, and casual, and comfortable...I think I might go with that," the brunette said. "Although, I don't want to disappoint Ginny."

"I'm not sure that's even possible now," Fleur said, beaming at her.

The family made its way back to the Burrow, with Hermione pleased to Apparate herself again, and she went to sleep that night, thinking of the way she could make her simple outfit more seductive.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Thanks everyone for keeping with it. :) I hope this part doesn't bore you too much, but I like writing Ginny and Hermione interacting with each other and situations. It's all part of the natural progression of the characters and the story.**

**This update includes ****Chapters 37, 38 & 39****. This 3-chapter arc is called "Moving On"**

**Warning:**** Adult content in places...we all need our little fix of fluff. ;)**

37

Hermione was feeling a little nervous as the evening approached. She had indeed chosen the clothes she had spoken of with Fleur. However her black trousers were beautifully cut and hugged the curve of her hips; she had bought them a while ago to go to something or other at the Ministry with Ron. Over the trousers she had a red silk shirt, which was tailored beautifully and again accentuated her shape, around the bust this time. This was all finished off with a simple pair of black shoes.

She looked in the mirror and deliberately left undone a couple of the shirt's top buttons and wore a simple necklace that dangled down the 'v' of exposed skin there. She looked smart, but also was hinting there was more of her just out of sight. _I wonder if Ginny will notice that?_ she thought with a smirk. Hermione wore her hair loose and had used some muggle styling products to make it look less bushy, as her hair was prone to doing, so it looked silky and smooth instead. Make-up was kept to a minimum, giving the impression she had none on at all, but at the same time looking like she didn't need any.

Taking a last look in the mirror, Hermione then went downstairs. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were impressed and both commented on how nice she looked.

The brunette was a little on edge waiting for Ginny, and she repeatedly looked at her watch, almost counting down the minutes. She didn't have to worry for long as Ginny walked through the door at only a minute after 7pm.

"Hi everyone!" the redhead called through from the kitchen.

Hermione walked in the direction of the kitchen and the two women met halfway. Both looked each other over, and clearly liked what they saw.

Ginny was wearing lovely bootcut black trousers, and a deep blue shirt, which was tailored as nice as Hermione's. The brunette had always been so used to seeing Ginny in jeans with only a brief time of seeing her in a dress at Bill and Fleur's wedding, she was already thinking that the woman would look stunning in a suit. _Which I would very quickly like to peel her out of,_ she thought mischieviously.

"You look fantastic, Ginny," Hermione said.

"Of course I do!" Ginny said back, making them both laugh. "You look fabulous yourself."

Hermione blushed a little, but kept eye contact.

"Well, shall we get going, then?" Ginny said taking her girlfriend's hand.

They Apparated together to just outside the Harpies stadium. It looked strange for the stadium to be empty and mostly in the dark, except for a very few lights.

Ginny led them inside and off down a corridor which led to the large function room, which had served as everything from a conference room to a ball room.

Hermione was feeling just a little nervous, with this being her first function for a long time and the fact she was going to be even more openly public with Ginny.

The redhead greeted the two security witches at the door and they walked into the room, still holding hands.

The room was decorated with plenty of Halloween regalia, from glowing pumpkins hanging from the ceiling to artificial bats, which were enchanted to flap across the room at intervals, above everyone's heads. There were lots of small tables and chairs around the edges of the room with buffet food on each table. There was a bar at one end of the room, and there was some music being played through the magical equivalent of a sound system, so people could dance in the middle of the room. The music wasn't too loud, so people could talk to each other comfortably.

"It's not quite as good as a Hogwarts Halloween, but it's not far off, is it?" Ginny said.

"I like it," Hermione replied, still looking around.

Hermione had been unaware that from the moment they had walked in, numerous pairs of eyes had looked their way with great interest. It was only when she had lowered her eyes from the decor up above that she felt, and then saw, that several people were looking their way.

"It seems we're quite the topic of interest?" Hermione said quietly, for Ginny's ears.

"Well, you're well known," the redhead answered her, smiling. "Everyone knows who you are, and they all heard the basics from the recent business too."

"Oh," said Hermione, feeling the beginnings of butterflies in her stomach. She held Ginny's hand a little tighter.

"You'll be fine," Ginny said, picking up on the uncertainty in her girlfriend. "I'm here with you, and besides their interest is also because they're jealous of me," the redhead added in a whisper, leaning in to Hermione.

"Jealous?" the brunette said, her brain not feeling up to speed yet. She had felt so positive about going to this party, but now she was here, she felt nervous.

"Yes, because _I_ have you," said Ginny, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I'll introduce you to some of the girls. It will help you feel more relaxed."

"Will it?"

"Trust me!" Ginny chuckled.

They made their way to one of the tables and Hermione did recognize one of the players; the seeker Geri Llewellyn with her long black hair. She was sitting with two other women.

"Hi Geri," Ginny said.

"Hello Ginny," Geri smiled. "So introduce us then?" the seeker gestured to Hermione.

"Geri, this is my girlfriend Hermione Granger."

Hermione felt only mildly uncomfortable, because she had a bigger and better feeling overtaking it. One of smug pride. _I'm Ginny Weasley's girlfriend, woo-hoo_, she thought, happy as a pig rolling in the proverbial.

"Nice to meet you, Geri," Hermione said, feeling a bit of confidence course through her for the first time this evening.

Ginny then introduced her to the other two women, a chaser called Gwen, and a beater called Gabby.

They moved from that table and met the head coach and former star player Gwenog Jones. Although not a huge quidditch fan, even Hermione knew this was one very famous player, but she could have sworn she saw the same kind of realization in Gwenog's eyes on meeting herself, which was quite odd.

Hermione went from person to person with Ginny, meeting the large squad the Harpies had, and she knew she'd never remember everyone's names, even if they usually always began with 'G'. She was aware that most of the players were acting the same as Gwenog when Ginny introduced her to them.

As they walked to the bar, to finally get a drink, Hermione took the opportunity to ask Ginny about it.

"Ginny, am I imagining it, or is everyone acting kind of weird when they meet me?" she asked, wondering if perhaps it was everyone thinking she was just odd and nothing more than that. She knew she was well known, but surely no one thought of _her_ as a celebrity?

"No, you're not imagining it," Ginny said, then saw Hermione frown. "They're all a little starstruck."

"What for?" Hermione asked, amazed. "I don't play quidditch for anyone, never have?"

"No, but you were one third of perhaps the most famous trio of wizards and witches in recent history, who fought and won against Voldemort."

Hermione couldn't remove the frown yet, as she took it all in.

"And of course everyone heard a lot about your recent ordeal. Not from me," Ginny hastily added. "But news travels fast, so they heard you were tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange and lived. You went through hell and nearly died from what Felgate did and you stood up to the nonsense of that defence lawyer in that packed Courtroom."

"I see," Hermione said slowly, unaware until then that everyone knew as much about her as they apparently did.

"You OK?" the redhead asked.

"Yes."

"You're more of a legend to them than even Gwenog is." Ginny said proudly, then leaned in to whisper again. "And they're all jealous that you're with me. Even the straight girls are jealous!"

Hermione's frown went quickly and she couldn't stop a broad grin from reaching her face. They got their drinks, Hermione opting for a non-alcoholic orange juice. Ginny copied her and did the same. They went to sit back at the table where Geri was.

"My Mum and Aunt say they saw you at the match yesterday?" Geri asked Hermione.

"Yes, we were in the same box," she replied. "I'm sorry about the match. I was ready to hex those two beaters for their dirty tactics!"

"Hey, Gin, maybe Hermione could be our secret weapon?" laughed Geri. "We hide her somewhere and she can curse the opposition."

"Do not encourage her!" Ginny laughed. "I don't fancy being banned because I couldn't control my girlfriend!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes and fixed Ginny with a stare. She was playing along really, but was highly entertained by the uncertainty that fleetingly touched Ginny's expression. _I see it works on you as well as it did on Ron_, she thought.

"Ut-oh, you're in trouble later," snorted Geri.

"So, you're best friends with Harry Potter, one of the original 'three'?" Gabby, the beater asked. It looked like she had been burning to speak, and had only now been able to pick her moment.

"Yes. We were friends from the first couple of weeks at Hogwarts. This whole 'trio' or 'big three' thing is so over-hyped though, it kind of happened to us, not us looking for it." Hermione answered.

"Was Harry as talented then, as he became?"

Hermione giggled. "Nope! He didn't know his arse from his elbow in the early days, but no one could ever deny his courage and his desire to do the right thing."

"What was Bellatrix Lestrange really like?" Gwen the chaser piped in.

"Hey, that's not something Hermione wants to talk about, guys," Ginny defended Hermione straight away.

"It's alright, Gin," Hermione said, feeling remarkably at ease. "Bellatrix was definitely a few knuts short of a galleon, and that's to put it mildly. That was perhaps more frightening than the fact she was a Death Eater. No one, not even herself, knew what she might do next."

The girls around the table were giving their rapt attention to her, so she thought she would divulge something that Ginny had only heard very vague reference to.

"I actually became her for a couple of hours," Hermione said.

"Became her? What do you mean?" Geri asked.

"I used some polyjuice potion, dressed like her. I already had her wand which was taken from her when we escaped the Malfoy's. I went into Gringotts and impersonated her to gain access to her vault."

"Bloody hell!" two of the women said.

"You became Bellatrix and broke into her vault?" Ginny asked.

"I haven't talked of it much, because it kind of went wrong and we were close to dying down there. But yes, I got to wear her outer shell, so to speak, for a while."

"What did it feel like? Being her? Did you get any transfer of her personality?" Gabby asked.

"No thankfully. But what I did notice is how people reacted to me. It was a weird and powerful feeling to have people afraid of you and not daring to say the wrong thing in front of you," Hermione said thoughtfully. "It actually makes me feel a shiver down my spine remembering it, but for a while I got to see the world as it was around her. Glad I didn't have to be her for long though."

Hermione looked at the four faces around the table. Gabby, Geri and Gwen looked astounded and highly impressed and Ginny looked proud and simply radiating with love for her.

"Anyway, how come you never grilled Ginny about Harry and his adventures?" Hermione asked.

"She refused to talk about him," Geri smirked.

"I didn't refuse, exactly," said Ginny, blushing just a little. "I said I preferred not to talk about him."

"I always knew she preferred women anyway!" Gabby said in a knowing way.

"Oh yes?" Hermione asked, wondering suddenly if Ginny's lesbian bedroom experiences were with anyone around this very table.

"It's just a feeling you get about people and Ginny was not a completely straight woman, pure and simple," Gabby said, highly enjoying making Ginny fidget.

"I wish you had told _her_ that sooner," Hermione scoffed, then chortled. "Maybe she would have drifted over to me faster?"

Ginny looked mortified. "Hello? I'm sitting right here?"

"Yes dear, I know you are," Hermione said, patting her hand.

The other women were greatly amused by seeing one of their star players being made to look on edge and embarrassed, all in good humour, but worthy of possible teasing in the future.

"Blooming Madam Rosmerta at The Three Broomsticks must have sensed it too, she was trying to get all close to Ginny the other week! It was frankly quite disturbing," Hermione said, still amused.

"I didn't do anything to encourage her," Ginny quickly defended herself, holding her hands up.

"Oh, you don't need to," Gabby said. "I will say this though, she might be an older lady, but she _has_ got stamina," the woman said winking.

"What?" Ginny asked shocked. "You and Rosmerta?"

"Only the once," Gabby said, almost proudly. "It was worth my trouble," she winked again.

Hermione just started laughing. "I think I was right to have concerns, then? I felt I had to show the woman that Ginny was taken."

"What did you do?" Geri asked, intrigued.

"Hermione jumped me at the table," Ginny said.

"No I bloody didn't Ginny Weasley!" Hermione said, unable to stop a laugh too. "I kissed Ginny, except she was so surprised she jumped back like a frightened rabbit, then she just about jumped _me_. Either way Rosemerta definitely saw the state of things and that Ginny and I were together."

"Did she say anything about it?" Gabby asked.

"No, she just hinted that she rented rooms, while giving us a warm landlady smile," Ginny told her.

"Ahhh, I see!" Gabby replied.

"What do you mean 'Ah I see'?" Ginny asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"She probably fancied both of you," Gabby said. "At the same time."

"_Pffffttt_," Ginny spluttered on her juice.

_Oh I'm so happy to see I dropped that particular habit,_ thought Hermione, who was usually the one spluttering and choking on things in surprise.

"It's true, she's got a lot of go in her for an old bird," Gabby continued. "A friend of mine went in there with her girlfriend and Rosmerta practically invited them upstairs with her."

Hermione was amazed at the conversation and also amazed at how comfortable she was feeling, even if they were talking about sex and some personal things.

The evening seemed to go by quite quickly, and at various times different people came over to the table to talk to them. It seemed that both Gabby and Gwen had girlfriends, who arrived later in the evening. It was true what Ginny had said about the Harpies, as Hermione observed more lesbian couples having a dance in the middle of the room than straight couples.

Through most of the evening Ginny had hold of Hermione's hand a lot and Hermione liked it, because it was Ginny's way of supporting her but also telling people that she was taken. There was a slight lull in the conversation as a couple of the girls went off for drinks again.

"Will you dance with me, Hermione?" Ginny asked, squeezing her hand.

"I'm hopeless at it, I bluffed my way throught the Yule Ball," she replied. "I have three left feet!"

Ginny, laughed. "You don't need to know any steps," then she whispered. "I just want to hold the most beautiful woman in the room, close to me."

Hermione couldn't refuse a request backed up like that. They rose and Ginny led her by the hand to the centre of the room where other people were dancing. As the evening had gone on, the music had gone to a more slower tempo range, just like muggle parties often did. Hermione could see that it was all couples dancing and that they just seemed to be holding each other and swaying to the music. _I think I can manage that_, she thought.

Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione and the brunette did the same back, as they kind of rested their heads on each other's shoulders as they gently moved to the music.

"This is perfect," Ginny said.

"I know what you mean."

"Thank you for being here."

"I've enjoyed it," Hermione said. "I'm so glad you asked me."

"The women have been asking me for weeks to introduce you to them," Ginny said almost tiredly.

"Well, now you have," the brunette paused. "I hope I didn't embarrass you too much?"

Ginny pulled back to look at Hermione. "Not at all. I've had a lot of fun, and you've won so many fans tonight."

"Really?"

"You didn't see how everyone was hung on your every word?" Ginny asked surprised. "They love you, Hermione."

"Hmm, it's just as well that I only love you then, isn't it?" Hermione replied, smiling. "I don't need fans anyway."

Ginny gave a mischievious grin. "Could one fan have a kiss from you?" she said with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't kiss fans," Hermione said playing along. Seeing Ginny put on a fake pout made her laugh. "But maybe just this once," she added.

The two women leaned in and pressed their lips together; both aware they were in a public place of sorts, they didn't get too deeply into it, but greatly enjoyed the contact. Hermione was aware that one or two others on the dance floor looked their way appreciatively.

They talked quietly for the remainder of the evening, between sitting at the table and having a slow dance or two; sometimes holding each other close, sometimes looking into each other's eyes as they spoke, with Ginny unable to stop herself from tracing the visible neckline where Hermione's shirt opened, with her fingertips, playing with Hermione's necklace absent-mindedly. _I think the look definitely worked_, Hermione thought, pleased with herself.

As they shared another slow dance and another soft kiss, Ginny held Hermione and whispered so only Hermione could hear her.

"All evening I've wanted to rip open your shirt and bury my face in your breasts. To slide my hand around and hold your arse and hips close to me. To slide a hand into your trousers and feel how wet you get for me..." she placed light kisses to Hermione neck.

Hermione's breathing had quickened and she felt her whole body tingling, and coming alive to every word and touch.

"So, take me home and do it," she said in breathy whispers. "I want you Ginny. I want you inside me. I want to be inside you, to hear you scream my name when you come."

It was Ginny's turn to hitch her breaths slightly. "Merlin's balls!" she whispered.

They pulled out of their close hug, and Hermione let Ginny lead her over to the table again, and told the other women that they were calling it a night and would be leaving now.

Both Gwen and Gabby, were giving very knowing smiles, which made Hermione feel a faint blush creep to her cheeks, hopefully not seen in the slightly dim light of the room.

They said goodnight to Gwenog last, before leaving and going back to the place they had Apparated to earlier. Hermione had genuinely enjoyed meeting everyone, once her nerves had settled, and she had enjoyed the evening as a whole, but right now she wanted to get back to the cottage and to be alone with Ginny.


	38. Chapter 38

38

The two women clung to each other, as their passion soared. Touching, kissing, stroking and just feeling each other's bodies and each other's love. Fingers caressing and teasing supple flesh, erect nipples and aching clits. Fingers embedded within each other, all aiming to bring that sought after release of emotion and energy that sealed their depth of feeling.

Moans, of pleasure and desire, faces flushed, a light sheen of sweat covering their skin, moving against one another. Words and whispers of endearment, words of pure lust, words to pull at the very heart strings.

"Yessss," Ginny said, almost delirious with passion. "I love you sooo much," she managed to pant out.

"Gin, I'm nearly there...come with me," Hermione said, beginning to shiver slightly in anticipation of her release.

"I'm coming...gods I'm coming," Ginny almost yelled, which set off Hermione's own climax.

Both women shook with powerful orgasms, loudly calling out each other's names, and collapsing against each other, breathless, still able to press light kisses to the nearest available soft skin before them.

Hermione felt mischievious and despite Ginny still trying to recover from her climax, she curled her fingers inside her lover and rubbed at that special place. Ginny made a feeble attempt to resist and was at her lover's mercy.

The brunette kissed Ginny deeply as her fingers made fast work of bringing an even more powerful orgasm to her girlfriend, catching her moans in her mouth.

"You're so very beautiful Ginny," she said, letting her lover come down from the huge high. "You're even more beautiful when you come," she kissed her.

Hermione felt Ginny's insides still twitching and grabbing at her fingers, and more so as she spoke.

"I do believe you'll be the death of me?" Ginny said with a breathy laugh.

The brunette placed tiny kisses to Ginny's cheek, chin, lips and jaw, almost soothing away the tension from her lover's body after such a powerful release.

"You're so wet, my love," Hermione said, naughtily moving her fingers a little, making Ginny's hips buck of their own accord. "Did you ever get like that for Harry?"

"No," Ginny replied. "It's the truth. I found him attractive and he was good in bed and attentive to me, but you have just brought something out in me I didn't know I was missing."

There was a moment of silence as both women thought on that.

"What about you and Ron?" Ginny asked.

"He was better than you'd think," Hermione said, trying not to chuckle. "I suppose I always knew it wasn't quite right. I wanted you, and no one else would have been good enough for me. And..." she tailed off.

"And what?"

"Most of the time I was with him, I was thinking of you," Hermione said, scrunching her eyes shut, embarrassed and a little ashamed. "I know that sounds terrible, and kind of twisted, but I couldn't change how I felt."

Ginny kissed her. "You don't have to _think_ of me anymore, I'm right here and loving you back."

Hermione kissed Ginny tenderly as she finally slid her fingers out of her lover, swallowing her slight moans at the same time; she couldn't resist licking those fingers and then kissing her lover again.

They laid back with Ginny resting her head on Hermione's chest with Hermione holding her.

"Gin?" the brunette asked after a little while..

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something? And I want you to know that you can say 'no' and I'll understand, and don't feel you have to say 'yes'?"

"That's intriguing," Ginny replied, moving position so she was side by side with Hermione and they turned to face each other, still draping an arm over each other.

However, Hermione didn't say anything more, and was kind of pursing her lips, visually showing she was nervous to ask what she wanted to, and having difficulty of finding a way to ask whatever it was she wanted to ask.

"You OK?" Ginny asked, gently rubbing the brunette's back in circular movements to comfort her.

"I just don't know how to say it?" Hermione said frowning. "If I ask, then I might ruin everything, and if I don't ask, I'll keep wondering about it?"

"Alright," the redhead said. "First of all, I love you. So whatever you're having trouble in asking, it won't change that. Unless you're going to ask me that you want Harry or Ron to join us in a threesome?" Ginny chuckled, trying to make Hermione feel less tense. It worked because the brunette let out a laugh that could only be described as a loud guffaw.

"The point is, just ask me whatever it is on your mind. You won't know unless you ask?" Ginny smiled. "Besides which, I won't let you leave this bed until you tell me what it is?"

"OK," Hermione tried to steel herself. "Can I..."

"Can you, what?"

"Can I move in with you?" Hermione shut her eyes again, hoping to avoid seeing the horror or fear in her lover's eyes that she had become too clingy or was being a bit fast.

"Look at me, Herm," Ginny said, watching as Hermione opened one eye then the other, slowly.

"You think it's too quick for us, don't you?"

"I haven't answered you yet," said Ginny as she moved a hand to cup Hermione's cheek and moved it into the brunette's hair. "I would love to have you move in with me."

"You would?"

"I've thought of it myself, but I didn't want to push and wanted you to be ready first and decide it yourself," said the redhead smiling.

"You mean it?"

"When can you move in?" grinned Ginny, as she pressed her lips to Hermione's.

"Tomorrow?" Hermione said, happily.

"That's good with me. I have Monday off as usual, so I can help you."

"I can't believe it?" Hermione said, unable to stop a tear rolling down the side of her face. "This is what I wanted for so long. You are what I wanted for so long, and I get to live with you and go to sleep and wake up with you every day."

"Well, nearly every day, when there's not matches at weekends anyway," Ginny said, truly happy to see Hermione so happy.

"I love this cottage, and I love you Ginny. I'm at that point where I need to be where you are and need to find my way with you. Your parents have been so kind, but I need to move on again."

"I understand," Ginny said. "I've wanted you to move in for a while, but I wanted it to be your decision, with no pressure from me. Plus I couldn't be with you all the time, when you needed someone there. You've made me a very happy woman tonight in so many ways and this just tops it off."

"There's something else I want to do," Hermione said in a soft voice.

"What's that?"

"I want to go back to work at the Minstry."

Ginny's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that one yet?"

"I feel ready," Hermione said. "I want to start facing those people again, who were in that Courtroom and were involved with my case. To face them and say 'I'm still here' and 'I'm going to keep fighting on'. I want to get back to some of my work on magical laws and if the time comes to help put away more of those Death Eaters out there, so no one has to endure what I did."

"I'm so proud of you Hermione Granger," Ginny said in pure amazement and adoration. "Whatever you want to do, I'll support you, and even help if I can. Although I'm not sure the Ministry would want me involved anywhere...but the point is, I'm here for you."

"I know you are, and that makes me one extremely lucky and happy woman," said Hermione, then she rolled her eyes. "We both sound so soppy!" she laughed.

"As long as you don't write a new law banning lovers from being soppy to one another, then I don't care if we're like that?" Ginny stated firmly.

"First things first," Hermione said. "I'll move in with you properly tomorrow. Then I can think on talking to Kingsley about returning to work after that."

The two women were feeling mightily satisfied with each other and with life in general. They slept peacefully in each other's arms, ready to start a new chapter in their lives the next day.

XXXXX

Mrs. Weasley reacted to the news well, as she had been expecting it to happen soon. Hermione and Ginny could see that she was disappointed too, mainly from not having anyone to care for and pamper anymore.

It didn't take much to move Hermione's things, as she had most of her belongings magically down-sized into her old Hogwarts trunk. She decided to leave a few items of clothing in Ginny's room for the times they came to stay back at the Burrow.

Hermione did feel a little weird as she sat on her bed in Ginny's room, after packing up one of her last items. This place and this room had been, and had meant so much to her for years, but even more so when she thought about how her relationship with Ginny had started in here. She had been nursed back from near death in this room and always felt safe here. Yet, she knew that things would be even better moving in with Ginny.

"You look deep in thought?" Ginny said as she walked into the bedroom.

"I was just thinking about everything that's happened in here over the years," Hermione replied.

"I know, it does have a rather long history of events doesn't it?"

"Oh well, we'll be back in here again sometime, I know, it's just me feeling a little sentimental." said Hermione.

"Nothing wrong with that," Ginny answered. "So are you ready?"

Hermione looked over to her girlfriend. "I was ready years ago!" she smiled.

It was fortunate that Hermione was so skilled with her down-sizing charms, because it meant they only needed one journey with her items. They went down the stairs and met Mrs. Weasley by her trunk in the kitchen.

"All set?" the older woman asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, noticing that Mrs. Weasley's eyes looked a bit full and she had the expression of someone trying to avoid crying; so she went over to the woman and hugged her.

"Thank you for everything, I don't know how I'll ever thank you properly," Hermione said, feeling a bit torn up herself now.

"It was an absolute honour Hermione. Having you here has been wonderful, despite the reasons behind it," Mrs. Weasley said.

The two women pulled back from their hug and both had unshed tears in their eyes now.

"You always have a home here," Mrs. Weasley said. "Always. Whatever happens."

"Oh, come here Mum," said Ginny, getting her own hug in. "You're a bloody fabulous Mum."

"Ginny, I meant what I said the other day," her mother backed away to point at her. "Don't you ever hurt her. Don't you ever hurt each other? Got that?" she said pointing back and forth between them.

Both Hermione and Ginny were compelled to nod in obeisance, knowing there was no other response to that. Hermione put a hand on her trunk, slung a bag over her shoulder, held Ginny's hand, and with a last smile to Mrs. Weasley, they Apparated together to Holyhead.

Hermione looked at Ginny as they stood in the living room of the cottage, and the brunette embraced her girlfriend.

"I thought your mum was going to break down, she looked so upset. I felt so bad for her."

"She'll survive," Ginny said. "Unless of course, you'd rather live with my Mum, than me?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Noooo," Hermione said quickly. "No, I'm very happy with our decision."

"Me too," Ginny said, grinning. "I was getting so tired of having to use locking and silencing spells every time we slept there!"

The two women embraced again and shared a slow gentle kiss.

The rest of the day Hermione unpacked the things she needed, while leaving furniture type items in the trunk, which were not needed. She did pull out her desk, which fitted nicely in one corner of the living room. It was an item of furniture that had been in her life since primary school and had been everywhere with her; she didn't feel settled anywhere properly unless she had that desk close at hand. It hadn't mattered at Hogwarts, but she always loved sitting back at it in the holidays and loved getting to use it nearly every day since leaving Hogwarts.

Both being exceptional witches came in handy for space-saving in the wardrobes and other cupboards.

In their bedroom, Hermione sat on the bed and placed her own clock onto her bedside cabinet. She looked around the room, seeing her own pairs of shoes lined up to the side of the wardrobe, one or two of her own quirky ornaments on the windowsill and it suddenly seemed to hit her conscience properly.

_I've moved in with Ginny_, she thought, _I've moved in with Ginny, not as a friend but as her lover and partner. I nearly died and yet here I am getting everything I ever wanted. Shit! I nearly died...I nearly died and nearly never had a chance at this love. _

It all seemed to overwhelm her and Hermione felt ridiculously stupid to feel tears streaming down her face and finding herself upset at getting everything she had dreamed of, everything she had _literally_ dreamed of.

_All I do is cry at things_, Hermione thought annoyed with herself. She was never a hardened bitch to emotion, but she used to be able to control herself better, especially over these sentimental things.

She felt incredibly drained at that moment so she lay back on the bed and curled up, she didn't want to close her eyes, so she looked at the sky out of the window on her side of the bedroom.

"You're awfully quiet?" Ginny said as she walked across the landing and through the bedroom door, a little while later.

Ginny set eyes on Hermione, and was immediately worried to see her curled up and that she had obviously been crying.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting down and laying a hand on Hermione's arm.

"Nothing, not really," the brunette replied, ashamed she was feeling the way she was.

"You don't cry for nothing, love," she leaned over and smoothed back Hermione's hair, tucking some loose strands behind her ear. "Talk to me."

"I'm being really stupid, Gin," Hermione said, almost groaning at herself. "Thinking too much, like I always do. And getting more and more annoyed with how I'm always bloody crying!"

"Better out than in," Ginny said. "That's what Mum always says...although that might have been advice on indigestion...whatever, it's better to cry out how you feel than to keep it all inside where it only festers."

"I'm being ridiculous," said an embarrassed Hermione.

"I doubt it, but let me be the judge on that," the redhead said smiling.

"Alright. I was thinking all nice thoughts about how I'm getting everything I ever wanted and dreamed of. To be your lover, to move in with you, everything is fantastic. Then I thought about how I might have died, how I wished at times back then, that I _would_ die and that I would never have known any of this if I _had_ died. Which then made me feel even more pathetic for thinking it and even more lucky for everything. Arrrrgghhhhh!" Hermione finished her little ramble, wanting to curse like a wagon driver, but only managed a rather puny roar.

"I get it," Ginny said. "I've felt some of the same things myself, partly."

Hermione sat up and turned to face Ginny.

"I knew that you were what I needed in my life and realized it the moment you fled the house, that day you found Harry and I in the attic. Then when you were taken, I felt a real physical ache in my chest. When we found you, and even back at the Burrow for a couple of days, when things were still unsure, I felt my heart breaking. I was already grieving at the possibility of never having the chance to be with you, to love you. And I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought on it since then. I get it, I do."

Ginny leaned in and hugged Hermione fiercely. "But we don't have to think of that possibility now. It didn't happen. We have each other and we're together in every sense of the word."

They kissed and hugged for a while longer, before Hermione got to her feet, still slightly annoyed with herself, but also a little relieved to know she wasn't the only one to think on dark thoughts.


	39. Chapter 39

39

Another week passed, and with it, the first quidditch weekend with Hermione living at the cottage. She felt like a very old-fashioned wife, seeing off her other half to work, when she saw off Ginny on the Friday morning, to be seperated until Sunday; she was giggling inside her head about it, but kind of loving every minute too.

Hermione joined the Weasley's at the Burrow for their weekly pilgrimage to quidditch. It was another away match, at the Wigtown Wanderers this time. The family shared a box with Geri Llewellyn's mother and aunt again, plus the parents and girlfriend of Gabby, the beater Hermione had met at Halloween. Gabby had been chosen to play today.

She still wasn't impressed with Geri's mother and aunt, so she made a deliberate point of talking to them this time. All the while she made sure to praise Geri and tell them what an amazing player she was. In truth Hermione didn't really know that much about the sport or whether Geri was as good as she told them, but it did seem to have an effect. The Llewellyn's knew who Hermione was, like nearly every other witch and wizard, and to have her praising their young woman seeker, definitely made them stand a bit taller and glow.

During the match the two women didn't shout so much and seemed to be taking more pride in watching Geri than looking for criticism. It was a pleasing experiment for Hermione.

The Harpies were back to winning ways again and everyone in their box was happy. The result had never been in doubt. There was much hugging and laughter from the players and family when they met up in the box later. Hermione, as usual, was looking forward to Sunday evening more.

Hermione gave her victory 'prize' to Ginny on Sunday evening, leaving them both breathless and sated, another routine both women would never tire of.

"What did you say to Geri's family?" Ginny asked as they lay in each other's arms several minutes later.

"I spoke to them, but didn't say that much, why?" Hermione asked, completely intrigued by her girlfriend's answer.

"Geri said that her mum and aunt were all over her after the match and told her what a wonderful match she had had," said Ginny.

"Oh? What's so unusual about that?"

"They never tell her that! They always tell her things she should have done instead and that she still isn't good enough...normally," the redhead said.

"Perhaps they see how good the team's results are and realize Geri's a big part of that?" Hermione offered, extremely entertained.

"Well, it's kind of funny that they talk like that to her, and every other word that's not about quidditch, is about _you_!" Ginny said, giving a playful poke at Hermione's ribs.

"Really? How odd? All I did was say 'hello' to them," said Hermione, thoroughly enjoying this banter.

"Riiight! You just said 'hello'?" Ginny laughed as she began to tickle Hermione. "I don't think so Miss Granger!"

"Alright, alright! I quit!" Hermione said, trying to bat away Ginny's tickling fingers. "I might have said a few things about how good Geri is and that they must be very proud. And yes I did it deliberately. I just thought she deserved a break. Plus I was getting fed up with them yelling to her about unimportant things all through the matches."

Ginny smiled broadly at her. "You're amazing," she said, kissing her cheek. "I think Geri owes you big time."

"Nah, it's a freebie," Hermione said.

"A freebie?" Ginny gasped in mock shock. "You better not be giving her any other sort of freebie?"

"Absolutely not," said the grinning brunette. "You're the only one who gets those," she winked as she looked at her lover.

XXXXX

The Tuesday following the win over Wigtown, Hermione decided to go and see Kingsley Shacklebolt at the Ministry. Ginny had wanted to get time off from training and go with her, but she refused, explaining it was something she needed to do herself. It was also partly why she picked the Tuesday and not the Monday, which Ginny always had free.

As she entered the Ministry, dressed in smart trousers and shirt, she made her way to the Minister's office, aware of several people looking her way and a few even doing double-takes. She took plenty of deep breaths and kept a neutral pleasant expression on her face, nodding to a few people she knew but carrying on her way, without stopping.

She made her way through to the outer office and asked one of the assistants if the Minister was free. He was, so she knocked on his door and entered when asked.

"Hermione?" Kingsley said surprised, as he rose to shake her hand.

"Hello Minister."

"Have a seat," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'd like to come back to work," Hermione answered, looking straight at him and maintaining determined eye contact.

"Would you?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers under his chin, in a thoughful pose.

"I'm ready, Kingsley," Hermione said. "I want to go back to my work and back to some normality."

"Hmm," Kingsley replied. "These things need some thinking about."

"I know, and I have been thinking very hard about this, but I know I'm ready and able to continue my work," Hermione almost pleaded.

Kingsley Shacklebolt studied her with a serious plain face again.

"So much has to be worked through," then suddenly he broke into a warm grin. "When can you start?"

Hermione audibly groaned and rolled her eyes. "You enjoyed that didn't you?" she asked.

"Oh yes, it was priceless," he chuckled. "There was never any chance we would ever refuse you coming back to work here," he added with genuine warmth and respect.

"Do you have anything I can start on tomorrow?" she asked enthusiastically.

"I believe we do, although," he looked very serious again. "You can decline it for something else if you wish?"

"What is it?"

"It's talking to a former Death Eater's house elf. He's not the most pleasant, which I'm sure you're used to, but I do think he's a possible candidate for rehabilitation. If you don't want to take him on, there are other things I could have you work on instead and it won't go against you in the slightest."

Hermione took in a deep breath, as she immediately had a flashback feeling of the day she had come in to talk to Morty. _I have to face this sometime_, she thought to herself, _sooner rather than later. Besides I know so much more about this subject than I did before, and far more than anyone else in the Ministry._

"I'll do it," she said without much pause. "I'll start work on it tomorrow morning."

The Minister rose, as did Hermione, and he shook her hand again.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to have you back with us," he said.

"I'll try not to let you down then," Hermione said with a smile as she left the office.

She made her way back through the corridors to leave again. As she was walking across the large foyer she heard someone calling to her from the direction she had just come from. Turning, she saw it was Harry making his way through all the people towards her.

"Hey there, Hermione!" he said.

"Hi Harry."

"If I'd known you were coming here today I would have made sure I was here to greet you?" he said.

"I didn't really know for sure I'd be here myself, until last night."

"Did you get called in or something?" Harry asked, unable to stall his curiosity.

"No. I went to see Shacklebolt about returning to work," she said, feeling quite proud for making Harry's face show signs of disbelief and severe surprise.

"So soon?"

"It's not really that soon, is it?" she said businesslike. "It's been several weeks now. I need to get back to routine."

"When do you start?"

"Tomorrow. I have an assignment lined up already," said a pleased Hermione.

"What's Kingsley given you?"

"Death Eater's house elf for possible rehab," she said in a very even voice.

"He's _what_?" Harry asked. "Bloody hell, what's he think he's doing, giving you that as your first job back? I'll have a word with him and..."

"No Harry!" said Hermione firmly, cutting over his complaint. "He gave me a choice and I chose to take the assignment. I've got to face this kind of thing again sometime, and anyway I'm more qualified than ever for this type of case now."

Harry just kind of blinked at her and seemed completely lost for words. Then he caught her off balance when he did speak again.

"Did your move to Holyhead go OK?"

"Yeaaa..sss," she answered uncertainly. "You don't have to ask me about that. It can't be comfortable for you."

"I'm a big boy now," he smiled. "I'm learning to live with it, Hermione. In some ways it's a little easier to stomach when I know you'll not hurt her and that I trust you, so I trust you with her."

"Thank you, Harry," replied Hermione. "Yes, the move went fine. I think Mrs. Weasley was quite sad about me moving out."

"One less person to boss around!" he laughed.

"I felt a bit sorry for her in truth, especially after what she's done for me," she sighed. "But I needed to move on, in a lot of ways."

"We've all needed to do that," Harry said a little sadly. "Just be happy, OK? Make Ginny happy too."

Hermione couldn't help herself and hugged Harry. "I'll try," she said.

They broke apart, smiling at each other. "I'd better be off again, some paperwork to get done," said Harry.

"Say hi to Ron for me," Hermione said as she left.

Everything about her trip to the Ministry couldn't have gone better, in fact it was a resounding success and she nearly did a girlish skip as she left the building.

XXXXX

Later that day, when Ginny got back from training and they were eating their dinner, Hermione told her all about her adventure to the Ministry. Like with Harry, she had to talk over her protests about taking on the elf case, but other than that Ginny was pleased for her and in some ways excited for her too.

Much later as they were getting ready for bed, Ginny had been thinking through everything Hermione had told her about what Harry had said.

"Tell me again what he said about me?" the redhead asked.

"He said he found it a bit easier because he trusted me not to hurt you and he told me to be happy and to make you happy too," Hermione said, trying not to groan at having repeated that part for about the third or fourth time.

"I can't believe he said that? Not after the way he responded to our news that night and how snivelly he was the next day?"

"I was taken off guard too, but that's what he said." Hermione told her, as they got under the covers. "And he meant every word."

"Well, you'll have to oblige now, won't you?" Ginny said in an even voice.

"Oblige what?" Hermione asked confused.

Ginny rolled on top of her in one fluid motion, straddling her waist.

"You have to make me happy," Ginny said with a twinkle in her eye and a mischievious grin.

"I having a feeling I'm never going to hear the end of this now, am I?" she laughed softly.

"No. But I'd prefer to change that sentence to you 'feeling my end'," said Ginny grinning wickedly, lowering herself to thoroughly kiss Hermione.

Hermione did indeed make Ginny very happy, and the redhead returned it with enthusiasm. It all helped Hermione feel less nervous about the Ministry tomorrow and able to face anything.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: We're on the back nine now. This update includes Chapters 40, 41 & 42. This 3-chapter arc is called "Deja Vus".**

**In reply to wondering if things are going a little too fast for Hermione: it's been several weeks of gradual progress followed by huge strides forwards, and a highly intelligent young woman like Hermione would soon find twiddling her thumbs at home incredibly boring and would be determined to get back to work and making a difference again. She would never want to sit around and stew on what life had dealt her, but push forward again. That's how I saw things and how I've written it for my timeline. :)**

40

The same corridor in the Ministry, on the lowest level. It felt eerily like retracing her steps, as Hermione made her way to the room where the house elf she was to talk to, was waiting. It didn't help the slightly creepy déja vu feeling when she saw that the auror on guard in the corridor was Prew.

"Hi ya!" the woman said in a jovial manner. "I heard you were coming back today."

"Not on guard in Wales this week?" Hermione asked, wondering.

"Nope. It was boring as hell out there. We didn't catch anyone, but we're still keeping a watch on the place," said Prew. "It's a good place to use as a training assignment for some of our new aurors-in-waiting. If they can survive the boredom and windchill of being out there, they can survive anything."

"Right, take me to this elf, then," said Hermione, determined.

Prew led on, and thankfully it wasn't to the same room as before, but a room a little further along.

"Knock three times, as usual, if you need anything or have finished your session," Prew said.

Hermione stood in front of the door, she set her shoulders back, inhaled a deep breath, and held her head up, nodding to the auror to open the door. She walked into the room, and it seemed they all looked alike, with just a table and a couple of chairs, but thankfully the elf was very different to how her first glimpse of Morty had been.

This particular house elf was in the far corner of the room facing the wall, and kind of hugging himself. When the door shut behind Hermione, she saw the elf visibly flinch.

"Hello," she said softly, deciding to start out kind and see if that was the method needed or not.

She had asked not to be told or given the elf's history, preferring to discover it as she went along, which might be more useful and less likely to cause her to make assumptions before she had even spoken to him.

The house elf didn't turn around to look at her, but made a small movement with its head as if it wanted to turn around.

"I was wondering if you would talk to me?" she asked.

There was more movement from the elf's head this time.

"I know you, " he muttered. "Mudblood."

Hermione had prepared herself for this, but it still sent a little chilling tingle through her.

"You know me, but I don't know you?" she said evenly, in the same soft voice. "What shall I call you?"

"Feeny," the elf mumbled.

"Well, Feeny, I'd like to talk to you. Please, come and have a seat," she plodded onward.

The elf did turn around now, and moved forward a step or two, watching Hermione as if expecting her to jump towards him and grab him.

She held up her hands. "I won't hurt you," she said.

"Hmph," was all that Hermione heard in answer to that.

However Feeny did sit on the chair opposite her. He definitely had a nicer face than Morty, and didn't look quite so rabid. He looked demoralized, forlorn and lost, with just a hint of possible anger and fear.

"You say you know me?" Hermione asked, curious. "How?"

"Everyone knows the mudblood who helped Harry Potter," the elf said in a cool voice. "The Dark Lord made sure we all knew and we were all under instructions to capture you if we ever came across you."

"I see," she said, defintely feeling the room drop a degree or two in temperature.

She took a deliberate breath before continuing. "Which Death Eater did you serve?"

"The Carrow family, and one particular Carrow more than the others" he said proudly. "I was one of their favourite elves."

"There were more of you?" she asked, considering what his answer might point to.

"Two others," Feeny said. "Large family with many branches, and when they were all together they needed more than one elf."

"What happened to the other two?" asked Hermione, wondering if there were two fanatical house elves roaming Britain, that the aurors should be on the lookout for.

"Killed while serving the Dark Lord," he said, also with an element of pride.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"No you're not!" he said in a louder voice. "You weren't on our side, mudblood. You wanted all our kind dead!"

"That's not true," she said. "We wanted victory over Voldemort and the Death Eaters, true, but none of us went out to kill house elves."

Feeny gave a sniff of disgust and shook his head, looking away from her.

"You obviously know nothing about me?" Hermione said.

"I don't need to know. You're a mudblood and friends with Harry Potter!" Feeny said, as if that explained everything.

"Well, I'm going to tell you some things, whether you like it or not," said Hermione, leaning forwards slightly over the table.

"For several years I have worked with house elves. I do all I can to help them. I respect you all as individuals, and respect your magical abilities and your feelings."

Feeny looked back at her. _That's it_, Hermione thought, _let your curiosity bring you to me_.

"I have met a lot of house elves whose former masters or mistresses were Death Eaters. I know what your lives were like then, some of what it feels like to you now and I can offer you help, if you choose to accept it."

"Don't want help from a mudblood," Feeny said back. "Always tricks and lies."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's what they all say!" she actually managed to smile. "Have you also always known that, incidentally, Death Eaters and your Dark Lord hated your kind almost as much as mudbloods, like me?"

The elf looked at her, definitely interested. _Come on_, Hermione thought, _he's at least near to sitting on the fence. Progress_.

"What do you want to do Feeny? Would you like to be a free elf? Free to choose where you live, and what you do?"

"All nonsense!" Feeny spluttered. "I serve my master."

"Sadly all of that is over," Hermione said firmly. "Your master is going to Azkaban. You can choose to go with him, or you can choose to start a new life?"

"It's a trick! You want me to talk, tell you master's secrets," Feeny said, and then he got quite uptight. He got off the chair and started shuffling on the spot and tugging on his grubby vest. "Then...then you'll chain me up, or give me to the goblins to work in their dungeon vaults! I know what you do!"

"Where in seven hells did you hear that?" Hermione said, a bit stunned. Although she did note that the elf seemed fearful of where he was going to end up and hadn't said he was going to Azkaban with his master as if that was his only option.

"See? You thought we didn't know? We know what happens to us!" Feeny said, obviously greatly disturbed.

"It's not true," Hermione said. "We do not chain you up and we most certainly don't make you work for Gringott's goblins in their dungeon vaults...I wouldn't wish that on anyone!."

"Then...then you kill us?"

"No!" Hermione said firmly. "You have several options, if, and only if, you would like to start a new life. You have to leave behind the world of Death Eaters and Voldemort and all that pureblood attitude and start fresh. You can choose to be free, although we would place you with a guardian to keep an eye on your for a while, to make sure you _have_ changed...and believe me, we know if you haven't. Or you can choose to serve a family or place we help to find for you. But it _is_ your choice."

"What if I say no?" Feeny asked.

"Then you can join your master in Azkaban. You wouldn't be serving him though. You would be in the elves quarters. It's not a pleasant option, I will be honest with you on that one."

"What does Feeny do, if I have no master? What would I do free? Nowhere to live, no one to serve? I reject master, betray him, no one wants an elf who does that?" Feeny said trying hard to take in everything that had been said to him.

"You'd be surprised," Hermione told him. "Many elves have chosen to take my offer of help, and yes they do feel very badly for a while, but then they see the new life before them and realize everything they had been missing out on, and above all they see getting treated kindly instead of being sworn at and made a slave, is actually rather nice. Some choose to be free and work where they choose but a lot take a placement with a new family, but a family who will treat them kindly."

"Can't, I can't," Feeny said. "I don't know what to do?"

Hermione gave a small sigh as she thought out her next words carefully and what she could say that would tip the balance.

"Feeny, what did you love the most about your house elf duties?" she asked.

"Serving master," he said simply.

"No, I mean, what actual parts did you enjoy the most? Cleaning and dusting? Washing clothes? That kind of thing?"

"I loved to cook meals for master, his family and guests, I love lots of people to cook for." Feeny said, actually smiling. "I can make food look so pretty on the plate." He looked up at Hermione and sort of realized where he was again and his smile dropped.

However, it was enough for Hermione to work on and she already had a possible solution to the 'Feeny problem'.

"Did your master ever praise your cooking? Did he say how much he liked certain foods?" she asked, gradually beginning to form her idea.

"No," said the elf. "But, he was master, he doesn't have to say anything. It was just a pleasure to serve him and to serve him food."

"OK," Hermione said. "You don't want to be completely free? I understand that, I really do. How would you like to cook every single day for a very large number of people, all of whom enjoy every mouthful? Working with other elves who also love cooking, and for a mistress who would appreciate you?"

Feeny blinked at her. "What mudblood trick is this?" he asked, all suspicious again.

"There's no trick," Hermione said, feeling a little drained and tired now. "I'm not trying to hurt you, or trick you into agreeing to anything. I am being completely honest with you."

"Hmph," Feeny muttered again looking down at his hands as they still fussed and tugged at the bottom of his vest.

"Alright, this is what I propose," Hermione said. "Would you like to work at Hogwarts?"

Feeny looked up at her very fast. _Ah ha_, she thought, _I think a seed has been planted and might be gestating as we speak!_

"You could work mainly in the kitchens, cooking, or you could do cleaning too if you wanted, or run errands for the teachers. It's entirely up to you. But I do know that anyone who has been to Hogwarts always remembers the wonderful food. And since I attended I made sure everyone knows about the hard work the elves put into it. You would also be working for Headmistress McGonagall, one of the magical world's finest witches."

"Feeny could work there?" he asked in a very quiet voice. "How do I trust other elves when they know which side I was on? How do they trust me?"

"To begin with it will be hard, but we've sent several elves from here to Hogwarts in the past couple of years," she said enthusiastically. "For a while you'll have a mentor elf to keep an eye on you," seeing Feeny frown a little she added. "Yes, to make sure you're behaving, but also to make sure you don't get any problems from other elves. All the mentor elves are really nice and used to working with elves like you, Feeny."

"You make it sound easy," he mumbled, uncertainly.

"It's not easy to adapt to at first," she said. "But all you have to do is truly want that chance, and that part is easy."

Feeny sat back on the chair and rested his head, face down on his skinny arms on the table. Hermione watched him, knowing he was having an internal battle. She was about to add more to her ever-more-tempting-sounding solution when he suddenly start to bang his head onto the table.

_Bingo!, _she thought, _he wants it. Kingsley was right, he's an awkward toad but definitely a good candidate to start afresh._

"That's another thing," Hermione said. "You won't have to hurt yourself anymore out of self-loathing for not obeying a Death Eater's order. You'll know right from wrong, but there's no need to hurt yourself anymore."

"Sorry," Feeny said in an even quieter voice.

"Sorry?" she asked.

"You are not what I was told you would be," Feeny said.

"No, I'm not," she said. "If you've ever heard of Kreacher or Morty, then they'll both agree with you."

His big elf eyes went very wide after she mentioned the two house elves names. _Interesting,_ she thought, _he's heard of Morty. I'll mention that to Kingsley as a connection._

"You know Kreacher and Morty?" he asked.

"Yes. Kreacher lives and serves Harry Potter," she said, totally enjoying the shock on Feeny's face. "And Morty saved my life not long ago by shielding me from his master."

_Leave it there Granger_, she thought, _that's enough for anyone to think on for one day. _

Hermione rose from her seat. "I'll leave you in the capable hands of the Minister to sort out your new place at Hogwarts."

She offered her hand to the elf to shake; like most house elves he was quite unsure what to make of it, and then realized it was to shake hands as a friendly farewell and gave her hand a quick shake with one of his bony ones.

Walking to the door, Hermione knocked three times. Prew came to the door and she told her she had finished. As she was about to walk out of the door Feeny spoke again.

"Thank you," he said.

Hermione turned. "Don't let me down," she said, although in a light voice. "And enjoy your new life."

She walked out into the corridor and after the door was shut behind her again her shoulders slumped and she sighed loudly.

"You alright?" Prew asked.

"Yes, just tired," Hermione told her. "I'd forgotten how much effort those sessions can take out of me."

"My offer of coffee still stands?" the auror said hopefully. "My shift ends in a bit over an hour?"

The brunette thought about it this time; she needed to get her report in to Shacklebolt and have a quick word with him about Feeny knowing Morty, but she was actually thinking a coffee would do her good and she needed something to wake her up.

"Alright, I'll have a coffee with you," she smiled. "As colleagues and friends, though," she made clear, and in doing so telling Prew that she knew the auror might have been looking for more.

Prew still looked like she wanted to skip in glee, and Hermione was going to have to make sure she explained about Ginny to her, to totally ram home her 'unavailable' status.


	41. Chapter 41

41

The déja vus kept on stacking up for Hermione as Prew walked with her to get coffee, at the same muggle cafe Harry had taken her to. They sat down at a table towards the back, although not the exact one she had with Harry.

"How was your morning? Did it go OK for you?" Prew asked as she sat down with the two coffees.

"It went better than I thought," Hermione said. "A few slightly creepy moments, but overall it was good. But as I said before, I forgot how tiring it all was."

"Er, about the other day, at that house," the auror said a bit nervously. "I'm sorry. I should have Apparated you to wherever you needed to be and not let you go off by yourself again."

"Oh?" Hermione said, then it dawned on her. "Now, are you saying that because that's a directive from the Ministry or a result of a snappy letter from Molly Weasley?"

Prew looked up from her coffee almost startled.

"I told her it was _my_ idea to go when I did," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Besides she knew that I didn't stay because at that point I still wasn't one-hundred percent sure you were safe."

"I'm safe, I'm very safe!" Prew threw up her hands in attempted surrender to any accusation she wasn't 'safe'.

Hermione laughed. "It doesn't matter now, but I _am_ sorry about Mrs. Weasley chewing your ear off about it all."

"It's alright," Prew brushed off. "I'm used to people going off at me for doing or not doing things."

They both sipped their coffee for a moment or two, thoughtful.

"So how long have you been a beater for our team?" Prew asked grinning.

"Beater? Team? I don't play quidditch?" Hermione said confused.

Prew leaned over. "How long have you been into girls?" the auror smiled. "Unless I'm wrong about you? It would be a first if I _was_ wrong about it?"

"Oh!" Hermione said, feeling really slow, for not picking up on the double meaning. _Is it _that_ obvious I'm not straight? _she thought_._ "I'm not sure I am on any 'team'," she said, amazed she wasn't blushing. "In truth it's only one 'bludger' I'm interested in," she added, rather proud of her turn of phrase.

"Do I know her?"

"Yes," Hermione said, and she couldn't stop a huge smile reaching her lips as she told Prew. "Ginny Weasley."

"Ahh, the rumours are true then?" the auror said, not surprised by the news, but still not quite hiding a big sign of disappointment.

"Rumours?"

"You've been seen at her quidditch matches with the Weasley's and some rumours have you hugging and kissing the Harpies star player?" Prew said amused.

"Those bloody boxes, Mrs. Weasley was right when she said people are always looking in! I thought most of the crowd had gone by the time Ginny pops by," Hermione said. Half of her was annoyed about the lack of privacy but a bit more than half of her was almost thrilled. _Yeah_, she thought, _Ginny is mine, and let everyone know that!_

"My cousin is one very lucky cow!" Prew laughed.

"Cow? Ginny isn't a cow," Hermione said, although actually finding it funny. "She _is_ a goddess in bed though."

"Hmm," Prew said, sounding even more disappointed and a little forlorn. "How does a girl compete with that?"

"You don't," Hermione said. "I only have eyes for her I'm afraid to say."

"Can't fault a spunky auror, with ravishingly good hair and humour, for trying, can ya?" Prew said, still smiling. "So I'm guessing the rumour along the grapevine is true too? About you moving in with her?"

"What bloody grapevine _is_ this? It's sounding more and more like my life is in the Daily Prophet every day?" said a disgruntled Hermione.

"Alright, not a grapevine, more like Ron Weasley mentioned it to someone who's a friend of a friend of mine," the auror said.

"Yes, I have moved in with Ginny, and it's wonderful."

"Has she popped the question yet? Or will you?" asked a very curious Prew.

"Popped...," Hermione said before she caught up again. _Good grief_, she thought, _you're slow today girl. _"No, we haven't talked about that yet. I've not actually even thought about it. There's been so much going on."

"Would you say 'yes', if she asked you?"

"Yes," Hermione said, surprising both of them with how fast she answered and how sure she sounded. "I've been in love with her for so long, I've always known she's the 'one'."

"Well, do something about it, girl," Prew encouraged. "I think I can safely say she would say yes."

Hermione narrowed her eyes as she studied the auror's face. "Is this more grapevine activity? Or have you got some inside story?"

"Just things I hear," Prew smiled. "As an auror, we learn to keep our ears open to all rumours and tales and so on, so it gives me an excuse to get a kick out of juicy gossip. And lesbian juicy gossip is a personal favourite."

"I never would have guessed?" said a sarcastic Hermione. "So come on then, spill it. What makes you think Ginny would say 'yes'?"

"Certain people saying she's never been so happy, or so in love with her current partner, who happens to be female," Prew said. "I wasn't absolutely sure you were the reason for her happiness, despite the rumours, but now I know you are. And with what I know, I think she'd say 'yes' with as little hesitation as you did just now."

"Oh," Hermione said, studying the bottom dregs of her coffee, feeling a bit warm, and in truth a bit green around the gills, or she would do if she actually had any gills.

"Anyway, it's just me enjoying the gossip a little. Don't feel pressured just because my blabber mouth talks the biggest load of squit at times," the auror laughed.

"No, it's OK," Hermione replied. "It's an interesting thought."

"I do have a request?" Prew asked, but still showing an expression of great amusement.

"What?"

"Can I have an invite to the wedding?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course and I'll make sure to sit you next to Molly Weasley at the reception!" the brunette laughed too.

"I have to get back now," said Prew making to get up. "I said I'd do a half-shift this afternoon, and take on any odd jobs that needed doing."

"Thanks for the coffee," Hermione said. In truth she had enjoyed the time, and it had given her plenty to think on.

They left the cafe and Prew was going to go back to the Ministry, where as Hermione was going to get to the safe point and Apparate back to Holyhead, her case for the day all completed.

As they were about to part ways Prew turned to the brunette. "Say, you don't have a sister do you?"

"No."

"Oh, nevermind," said Prew laughing. "You can't blame a girl for trying, can you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes again, but had to laugh. In a lot of ways it felt kind of wonderful to have the attention of someone like Prew, and it made her feel attractive. Not that she wasn't, she knew she wasn't ugly exactly, but the shy girl who hid behind her books for years to avoid the taunts and the opening for more fun to be made of her, had left her with a stunted view of herself. She never quite believed what people said they saw when they looked at her, half expecting a compliment to be dashed down with an insult straight after it. She trusted Ginny, and when Ginny told her she was beautiful she believed it.

_Ginny. What am I going to do about her, eh?_ she thought.

Hermione had never really thought about marriage since well before she split with Ron. She had dreamed of a life with Ginny, but never saw it as something that would come true. After her ordeal and everything going on with her recovery, she hadn't thought of marriage at all.

However, she knew as she walked to the Apparating place, that she wanted to marry Ginny even if that was only possible in a muggle ceremony, as she knew very little about the magical world's view on it. That annoyed her, she _should_ know about it. Hermione knew that she wanted it to happen properly if it did happen, in front of their family and friends. _Was it too soon?_ she thought. _Not really, I've loved her for years, known her for as long, and we've both been through a lifetime of events in the past few months._

As she reached the place to Apparate back to the cottage she thought wryly to herself, _Wonderful, you've found something else you've got to find courage to face and go through with! Put it on the the back-burner for now, you have other things to concentrate on first._

She arrived back at the cottage, loving the feeling she got every time she was back within its walls. Rustling around in the kitchen she made herself a couple of salad sandwiches for a late lunch.

Sitting in one of the armchairs she flicked through the copy of her report on Feeny, feeling as though she was back on track and able to make a difference again. Without realizing it, she dropped off to sleep in the chair, only to be woken from her nap, by a sharp sensation to her arm.

Hermione woke with a start, not knowing what was going on or what might be happening; her heart was racing with apprehension. It was then she saw the cause of the pain on her arm; a grey owl sat on the arm of the chair and it had been pecking at her to get her attention.

She sighed deeply and calmed her breathing back down and removed the letter from the owl's leg. It must have got through the kitchen window she opened when making her lunch. Hermione got up and fetched an owl treat from the kitchen and then read the letter. Once again she had a momentary déja vu chilly feeling down her spine. It was from the Minister, but thankfully in a different tone to that letter she had received on that fateful day.

_Dear Hermione,_

_The elf, Feeny, you spoke with this morning is ready to go to Hogwarts. All the paperwork has been completed. When suggested and asked, he allowed Harry to use legilimency on him to see if his thoughts and intentions were true about wanting to start afresh. It has sped up the process and Hogwarts are happy to receive him today._

_The only thing is, he's actually asked for only you to escort him there. There are a few details to sort out, which I'll need to talk to you about here. _

_I hope you don't mind, but the sooner we get the elf placed, the less paperwork we'll all have. See you this afternoon._

_Best Regards,_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt._

"Bollocks!" Hermione cursed to herself.

She didn't really feel like going to Hogwarts today, least of all with Feeny, but the Minister had been right, that the sooner he was taken there, the less paperwork for all of them. Although she was a little tired earlier, the nap she had taken had helped her immensely.

Hermione wrote a small note of acceptance, and sent the owl back to the Ministry, which is where she would be going in a short time again.

XXXXX

"Thanks for doing this Hermione," said Shacklebolt as they sat in his office again.

"It will benefit everyone, so it's alright with me," she said, unable to take a touch of weariness from her voice.

"There are a few small details to go through."

"Such as?"

"I want you to take an auror with you," he said seriously.

"You think the elf might try something?" Hermione asked doubtful.

"As far as we can tell, no. But we're not going to take any chances any more. You taught us all a lesson with...well, recent events," he said looking at her with total respect.

"To be honest, I think I would feel better with someone else along anyway," said Hermione, thoughtfully.

Until Kingsley had mentioned it, she hadn't thought of any dangers, and now he had suggested it, she felt easier knowing she would have an auror with her. She thought it would probably be Prew as she had told her she was doing a half-shift in the afternoon.

"Will it be Prew coming along?" she asked.

"That's the other thing. It's Ron."

"Oh," said the brunette, unsure about the issue with it. "What's the problem with Ron accompanying me?"

"I just thought it might be awkward. Your history with each other?"

Hermione smiled. "We're fine, Kingsley. We've dealt with and are dealing with it all, but we're fine."

The Minister looked relieved and told her to collect Feeny from the room she was in that morning and that Ron would be waiting there for her. Her instructions were to meet with McGonagall for the official handover. In some ways, she was looking forward to seeing Hogwarts again, in others she was not looking forward to some of the memories it might stir up. However, it sounded like she wouldn't be there for long, so she probably wouldn't get much time for any sort of memories.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: I just had to include a visit to Hogwarts and the inclusion of a certain favourite character, employing a strange thought I had always had about them and about a certain skill/habit they might have an "instinct" for. ;) This chapter is a little bit of self-indulgent fluff...but again I do mention things from this chapter in remaining chapters. :)**

42

"Hi Herm!" Ron said, as Hermione met him in the corridor, outside the room where Feeny was being kept.

"Hi Ron," she said. "I see you got roped in on this job too?"

"Yeah," he sort of tittered.

Hermione studied him; Ron always giggled like that when he was either lying or trying to hide something. _I do have a little skill in observance...maybe. Certainly with Ron, anyway_, she thought.

"What do you mean, 'yeah'?" she asked, pinning him with a stare.

"Well I wasn't actually asked. I kind of heard that you were going to take the elf to Hogwarts and they wanted an auror with you," he kept avoiding looking at her directly. "I just thought it should be me."

Hermione realized that he was only trying to help and deep down he wanted to protect her, which was both funny and a little tiresome; she lightly shook her head at the tiresome side to it.

"Alright, let's get Feeny to his new place of work, shall we?"

Ron opened the door, and straight away the elf scrambled off a chair and stood, as Hermione walked into the room.

"Hello again, Feeny," she said. "We're ready to take you to Hogwarts. If you'd come with us?"

"Us?" the elf asked.

"An auror has to come with us. You might know this one. Ron Weasley," she said, wondering what reaction she would get.

"Another friend of Harry Potter? The Blood Traitor?" Feeny couldn't stop himself from babbling out.

"Now then Feeny, that's one of the many things you're going to have to get used to," Hermione said. "Kreacher accepts him, so can you! Besides you must have trusted Harry Potter earlier today when you allowed him to use legilimency on you?"

Feeny slowly nodded. He himself realized he was reacting to things in the way he had been brain-washed to do, and not necessarily how he actually felt. He felt very confused for a moment, tugging on his vest, but then remembered that he was going to start a new life and would be cooking...every day.

"Sorry," Feeny said, looking down at his feet.

"It's alright," Hermione said, kindly. "You'll adapt soon enough."

Feeny looked a little uncertain, but unlike Morty had been to begin with, he did seem to actually listen and process everything he was being told and think things through. Hermione considered that after she had talked to him earlier, he had already learned that what he had been told and taught by Death Eaters wasn't always true, so anything she said had enough merit to be thought through properly. She felt a sense of accomplishment, in being able to bring this about.

The party of three used the Floo Network and arrived in the office of Minerva McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

They found the regal witch sitting at her desk, obviously expecting them. McGonagall hadn't changed a bit; she still wore her hair in a bun and was as straight-backed as ever. As Hermione and Ron walked out of her floo fireplace she had a genuinely pleased expression on her face.

"Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley," she said. "What a pleasure to see you here again. Although a relief that it's not for some trouble you've got into at school!" she smiled warmly.

"Hello Professor McGonagall," Hermione said, going over to the desk and shaking her hand.

However, Minerva McGonagall didn't just shake her hand, but stood up, walked around her desk and embraced her former star student. Hermione was caught off-guard by this, but didn't mind really.

Ron looked on in horror, wondering if he had to hug the Headmistress too. He had had his arms around the older woman once, during dance lessons for the Yule Ball in their fourth year, and it wasn't something he wanted to think on or repeat.

"Mr. Weasley, so nice to see you. Everything going well at the Ministry?" Minerva asked as she just shook his hand, much to Ron's relief.

"Yes," he said. "It's ruddy hard work, but it's good."

While all the meeting and greeting had been going on, Feeny the house elf had stood to one side of the fireplace and kept looking backwards and forwards from the witches and wizard not entirely sure what was going on and wondering if they had forgotten him.

McGonagall sat back at her desk and gestured to the three chairs in front of the desk. She looked over to Feeny, picked up her wand and resized the third chair to a comfortable size for the elf to sit on.

"Please do sit," she gestured to the elf.

With all three of her guests seated she rustled through some papers on her desk, which Hermione suspected might have been for show, rather than actual need of the information on the pages. The Headmistress peered over her glasses at the elf.

"I understand that you would like to live and work here at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"I was told I could cook here, if I wanted to," Feeny said in a small voice.

"Yes you can. We have a large kitchen staff of elves and the more the merrier," McGonagall said warmly. "You understand that you will be under the care of a mentor?"

"Yes."

"I will also come and talk with you regularly, to see that you're settling in alright and have everything you need," said McGonagall.

Hermione knew that it was more a case of making sure Feeny was behaving, adapting and learning to be something other than a Death Eater's house elf, but the older woman put it nicely enough that the elf wouldn't have noticed. Besides Minerva McGonagall was like Dumbledore in a lot of ways, and tolerant to many ideas and theories in the magic world, which included creatures of a little less than human blood. This probably came from the fact she was a animagus and had the advantage of also seeing the world from a less than human perspective.

"I think that's all we need to say for now," said McGonagall. "Mr. Weasley, would you mind taking Feeny to the kitchens?"

Ron was surprised to be asked to do that, wondering why she couldn't have summoned an elf to take him there. He didn't question it though; he might have faced certain death many times, but a pissed-off Professor McGonagall was a far darker prospect.

"Sure," he said, rising from his chair. "They know he's arriving?"

"Yes, his assigned mentor will be waiting outside the kitchens."

"OK, see you later Hermione," Ron said as he gestured for the elf to leave the room with him.

Feeny looked over his shoulder at Hermione as he left, she felt him staring at her, so turned around and nodded to him, with an expression of 'make this work, and don't mess it up'.

"It seems you have worked miracles again?" Minerva said, drawing Hermione's attention back to her former professor.

"All he needed was a little suggestive prodding really," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders modestly. "I just hope I'm not swelling Hogwarts' ranks of house elves too much. We've sent a lot to you over the years?"

"Plenty of room," the older woman said. "And in some ways it's the safest place to keep an elf with that kind of history. Albus always said there were many things about the castle that protected the people within it. Although we suffered a great deal of loss, I still think it was vital that we fought that last battle here. It gave us an added chance and made sure casualties were as minimal as could be possible."

"Thank you for accepting him at such short notice," Hermione said.

"No problem," Minerva said. "I heard from Shacklebolt that it's your first day back at work?"

"Yes, it is."

"I heard all about...well, what happened," the older woman looked down, studying her quill on her desk. "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how you managed to recover even, let alone return to work?"

"I'm still recovering to a certain extent," Hermione admitted. "Some things are harder than others. This elf brought up a few memories, but it's been good to face it all and charge onwards. I'll be forever changed by it all, on some level, but I've been fighting and will keep on fighting."

McGonagall looked up at her, showing obvious amazement, respect and pride.

"I hear you were living at the Weasley's?"

"Yes, if it hadn't been for Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, well, I might have died or I might be in St. Mungo's next to Lockhart at this very moment." Hermione said seriously.

"I hope Miss Weasley is treating you well?" the Headmistress said, with a twinkle in her eye.

_Bloody Hell!_ Hermione thought, _does everyone know?_

"Oh, I don't mean to pry, Hermione," said McGonagall, after seeing the expression on her former student's face. "I do think it's wonderful. I hope you are very happy together."

Again Hermione didn't know how to answer. She had expected Minerva McGonagall to have been a bit conservative about her feelings on same-sex relationships, however tolerant she was of other things.

"Thank you," was all Hermione could find to say.

"I'm sure everyone expected you to be already wed to Ronald? But I always had a feeling that you weren't meant to be together."

"Wish you'd said something?" Hermione replied. "It might have saved me a lot of trouble."

McGonagall laughed. "Regardless, it's always better for the people concerned to reach those conclusions by themselves. At least Ginny finally took notice of her own feelings and yours."

"Don't tell me you saw that she wouldn't end up with Harry too?" asked an incredulous Hermione.

"I think they could have been happy together, I really do, but I think at some point she would have found her feelings for you again. And what a mess that would have been?"

"Yes, quite," Hermione answered. "So are you teaching divination now?"

The Headmistress chuckled in response to that. "Absolutely not!" she said. "I still say divination is a lot of hippogriff whoopsies, you don't need divination to read and observe the signals that people show every moment at any given time."

"Hmm, that's exactly what Luna and Fleur say they do, 'observe'," said the brunette, wondering if she could acquire a little more skill in that area. "I'm guessing being a cat for some of the time, helps?"

"Yes, it does," McGonagall said. "Cats have so many good and intelligent qualities, as long as you can live with the almost constant, instinctual habit of wanting to lick one's own bottom."

Hermione's eyebrows climbed to her scalp. The Headmistress simply smiled, looking very much like a satisfied cat, having managed to surprise, and possibly shock a little, the woman in front of her.

"Perhaps that's not such a useful skill?" Hermione said, managing to regain her composure.

"It can be useful, in certain circumstances."

McGonagall saw the curiosity on the young woman's face and continued. "There were a couple of annoying customers at The Three Broomsticks one Sunday afternoon a few years ago, complaining about everything and demanding so much of Madam Rosmerta. So I helped."

"How?"

"I went out the back, changed into the cat and jumped up onto the bar, and..._washed_ myself, then licked the top of a nearby milk bottle. These ghastly customers suddenly decided they didn't want to eat or drink at The Three Broomsticks anymore, and left."

Hermione had to laugh. "I can see how that would work," she said, still not believing the conversation she was having with her former professor.

After talking for a little while on the advantages of being a cat at times and some other subjects of the magical variety including house elves, they then got back to the The Three Broomsticks incident, causing some light chuckling again. Not long after, Ron walked back into the office.

"All done, he's in the kitchens."

"Thank you," McGonagall said.

"We had better go now," Hermione said. "It was lovely to see you again, Professor."

"The pleasure was all mine," the older woman replied as she rose and again went to hug Hermione. "Take care of yourself and send my best wishes to Ginny. I hope she has much more success with the Harpies."

Ron shook hands with McGonagall, still feeling a little awkward at being an adult around the woman and in that particular office, when he couldn't help feeling like a nervous twelve-year-old again, about to have House points deducted for some misdemeanour.

"Please pass on my best wishes to Harry," she said to Ron, who nodded to her.

Hermione and Ron both waved as they used the fireplace to floo back to the Ministry.

"So what did the old bird say to you?" Ron asked, as they stood back in the Ministry floo area.

"Just this and that," replied Hermione.

"It had to be more than that," he said. "She didn't have to send me to the kitchens, she could have got an elf to do that. She wanted to talk to you alone?"

"She was just sorry about what happened to me," Hermione told him. "We talked about some areas of magic and house elves."

"Well, you sure looked like you were having fun?" he continued to probe. "I was always sure that old girl only laughed a couple of times a year, at Christmas and quidditch."

Hermione couldn't help a tiny snort of laughter as she recalled the cat story McGonagall told her. She didn't want to tell Ron though, as he wouldn't be able to keep it to himself.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh she was just telling me about being a cat. The things she's seen," she said, but seeing Ron about to ask for more information on that, she added. "There's too many to mention."

She made a point of looking at her watch. It was getting late in the afternoon and Ginny would be home now and might even be wondering where she was, as she had only expected to work until a little after lunch.

"Anyway," Hermione said. "I had better be going now. Thanks for your help this afternoon, Ron."

"Any time Herm," Ron said, although with the smallest hint of sadness. "It was a bit like old times, off on a mission together."

"Thankfully without so many dangers," she said.

Ron dropped his gaze to his feet. "You're happy, aren't you?" he suddenly asked.

"What?" replied a surprised Hermione.

"You and Ginny? You're happy?" he asked again.

There was no tone of anger or nastiness in Ron's voice, and the only tone Hermione could have described it as, was softness and nervous warmth. _Maybe I _am_ gradually getting better at this signals and observations thing_, she thought.

"Yes, Ron," she answered. "I'm very happy, and I think she is too." She paused before adding. "I don't say that to rub it in, or anything like that. But you asked, and I answered."

"It's alright, Hermione," he said, raising his eyes to hers. "As hard as it is, I do want you both to have happiness. I can't _make_ you love me how I always wanted you to."

"You'll find someone, Ron," she said reaching out to squeeze his arm. "You're a good man, funny...OK sometimes infuriating too, but that includes all men; but you deserve happiness too, and you'll find it eventually, I know you will."

Ron grinned at her, a bit embarrassed but undeniably touched by her words.

"You'd better go," he said. "I don't want Ginny coming after me," he laughed.

"See ya, Ron," she said, before getting into a floo cubicle and flooing back to Holyhead.

XXXXX

"Merlin's bloody beard?" a voice said in surprise, as Hermione walked out of the fireplace.

Ginny had been sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room reading the Daily Prophet and hadn't expected Hermione to come home by floo.

"Sorry, Gin," Hermione said brushing herself down. After a handful of floo journeys, she was feeling decidedly grubby.

"Didn't you feel up to Apparating home?" the redhead asked, getting up to greet her girlfriend with a hug and and a peck on the lips.

"No, it wasn't that," said the brunette, flopping down in the other armchair, feeling tired again. "It's a slightly long story, but I used the floo to go to Hogwarts, and back, so decided to floo here instead of walking to an Apparating point.

"Hogwarts?" Ginny asked, with the same Weasley curiosity her brother had. "I thought you'd be working at the Ministry, gently getting back into things?"

"Me too!" Hermione smiled. "Plans never work out how you expect."

"So come on, tell me about your day, and how you ended up back at Hogwarts?"

Hermione told Ginny all about her morning, talking with Feeny, and the progress she made and that she was then called back, by request of the elf, to escort him to Hogwarts.

"Ron elected to go with you?" Ginny asked, feeling a little ruffled about it.

"Yes, he heard I was going, and decided to be the auror to accompany me," Hermione told her, but seeing a slight frown appear on her girlfriend's face she quickly added. "He didn't mean anything by it, Gin. He just wanted to protect me and make sure everything went well. He was there as a friend and auror, nothing more."

"He had better not be thinking anything else?" said a disgruntled Ginny.

Hermione then told Ginny all about her time with McGonagall, and she did tell her all about the cat story, which had them both in fits of giggles again.

"She never did that in transfiguration lessons?" Ginny laughed.

"Yeah, but from the way she said it, I think it's a constant thought in the back of her mind when she's a cat!" said Hermione.

"And you say she was OK about knowing we're a couple?" the redhead asked, not quite believing that part of Hermione's conversation with the Headmistress.

"Yes. She's another one of those, like Fleur and Luna, who claims she saw it years ago," Hermione said with a tiny amount of scorn. "Why didn't any of these 'I saw you two girls years ago fancying each other' people stopped being so smug and actually said something?"

"We wouldn't have believed them back then," Ginny said thoughtfully. "It might even have made us run further apart?"

"You're probably right," Hermione said, yawning.

"I'll make dinner," Ginny said. "You go and have a shower, and a freshen up."

"Are you saying I'm filthy?"

"You're a bit grimey, but you look tired too," Ginny smiled. "I just thought a shower would make you feel better after your long day?"

"Thanks, love," Hermione said with a smile. "I think for once I'm not going to protest, and will do as you suggest."

"Good grief, two miracles in a day!" Ginny exclaimed. "First the elf, now you doing as I suggest? Wow! Is it raining galleons outside right now?" the redhead said, making as if to look out of the window.

Hermione swatted her as she walked past her towards the stairs, not minding in the least when her girlfriend patted her backside as she went past.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Six chapters to go, and thanks to anyone still reading this. :) This update is Chapters 43 & 44. This 2-chapter arc is called "Expected and Unexpected".**

43

The weeks flew by, and Hermione had settled completely into almost perfect domesticity, living with Ginny. She felt settled back working at the Ministry and had been giving a lot of thought to laws involving animagus amongst the many things her busy brain thought on.

Hermione always found time to go to Ginny's matches and the Harpies still had an amazing record. The team won against the Kenmore Kestrels and Appleby Arrows but lost against Pride of Portree. The loss wasn't a huge surprise as Portree were a very good team.

There had only been a couple of weekends when there was a break, and one of those they had gone to the Burrow and enjoyed a familiar-feeling weekend with Harry and Ron present, both of whom were dealing with their relationship rather well now. Fleur and Bill had visited for dinner and Fleur was doing well and showing a bump. Had they not told Mrs. Weasley when they did, the matriarch would have worked it out herself, as Fleur couldn't exactly claim she had developed a beer-belly.

As far as the quidditch was concerned, it was all leading to a final league home game against Welsh rivals Caerphilly Catapults the week before Christmas. The Harpies were going to be crowned League Champions whatever happened, because Portree had lost an extra match and had a much worse total points scored record.

With a week to go until the final match, Ginny asked Hermione to attend the end of season party in the evening after the match on Saturday, it was more a function than a party in truth; the difference this year was that it would be a champion's party. Apparently most of the Weasleys, even Percy, were going and it would be packed with Harpies' friends and family. For the first time, Harry said he would go too. Halloween had been a small affair, this would be a lot larger. In typical Ginny-fashion, she hadn't mentioned it before now.

"Where will they put it on?" Hermione asked.

"Same room we went in for Halloween," Ginny replied. "They'll magically enlarge it for the night."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Hermione.

"They usually give out some prizes to the players. Best newcomer. Best player, and that kind of thing," said the redhead.

"You've got to be Best Player, Gin," said the brunette.

"A lot of the team have played well this season, so I wouldn't bank on it being me."

"It should be, if anyone has had eyes this season!" said a fiercely proud Hermione.

"We'll see on Saturday," Ginny replied smiling. "At least we get qualification for the European Cup in the new year, whatever happens."

XXXXXXXXXX

The week was quite slow at the Ministry. Hermione hadn't had to deal with any other house elves since she had worked with Feeny a few weeks ago. She had had a lot of time to think about what to wear on the Saturday and some other things while she did some basic paperwork on the status of werewolves in the counties of Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

She didn't have much to do on the Thursday, so she finished up just after lunchtime and went to Diagon Alley to mostly window-shop, for any ideas regarding what to buy Ginny for Christmas and to just take a stroll. She walked into George's shop and went to the back to see if he was in.

Hermione was about to knock on the 'staff' door when it opened and George greeted her smiling.

"What a nice surprise!" he said. "Come on in, or better still come and have a cuppa with me across the street. I was then going to take a break."

"That would be great," Hermione said.

They settled at the cafe a little way across the street from the shop, finding a relatively private table towards the back of the cafe.

"So, what brings you to Diagon Alley?" George asked.

"I finished work early and thought I'd take a walk here. Then seeing your shop I thought I'd come and say 'hi'."

"I'm glad you did," he said. "I assume you're going to the Harpies party on Saturday?"

"Yes. I'm hoping Ginny gets the Best Player award."

"It will be an injustice if she doesn't," said George.

"I was actually doing a bit of window-shopping for gift ideas. I might have to ask your mum's advice soon, about buying something for Ginny, for Christmas," said the brunette, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know whether to go for serious or funny and the days are rapidly running out. I haven't any idea what to get her? What do I get a woman who's just won a quidditch championship title?"

"I know just what she'd like," said George.

"And what would that be? Dare I ask?" Hermione said with a crooked grin, knowing with George's sense of humour, it could be anything.

"You."

"Me? She already has me?" said a confused Hermione.

"Does she _really_ have you, though?" George said, completely seriously.

"I haven't looked at anyone else and wouldn't want to, if that's what you mean?"

"No. I'm talking commitment." he said.

"Oh, the 'c' word, or more specifically, the 'm' word," said Hermione.

In all honesty she hadn't thought much more on that subject since Prew had discussed it with her and she still had no idea how she would approach it.

"I've just been getting these signals from her," he said.

"When?" Hermione said, wondering how George and Ginny kept so in touch, unless by letter.

"She occasionally drops by the shop when she picks up bits and pieces from the quidditch shop. She's always liked picking out her own gear, rather than letting a kit manager do it."

Hermione had never heard about this, although in truth it had never come up in conversation. It did still make her feel a little miffed that she didn't know about this part of Ginny's life. George noticed her slightly furrowed brow.

"It's not every day, not even every week, really, but whenever she's in the Alley she comes to see me, and we talk," he said. "She's always talking about you, so don't worry, she isn't about to dump you, farrrr from it," he smiled slightly mischievously at her.

"OK," Hermione said, wondering what else was going to be said.

"The thing is, I think she's still a little nervous to do anything that might push you away. Although you've known each other for years and she knows you've loved her for most of those, she's afraid to rush you. I truly think she would have asked you the big question a couple of weeks ago but with you being back at work she didn't want to put any more pressure on you," George said, noting the dreamy look Hermione was wearing. "Yeah, it's bloody mushy, isn't it?" he laughed, as Hermione swatted his arm, drawing her attention back to him again.

"Anyway, I think _you_ should ask _her_," he said. "It would be one hell of a Christmas present."

"Really? You think so?" she asked with a small tone of disbelief.

"I know so," he said. "She's so in love with you Hermione. And, as she seems to be too chicken to do it, then you'll have to!"

"Thanks for your wonderful insight!" said Hermione with a note of sarcasm.

"I'm serious."

"I suppose I'll have to get a ring?" Hermione thought outloud. "I haven't got long before Christmas to get this sorted out, have I? Where in Diagon Alley would I get a good choice of rings for an occasion like this?"

"Well, before you get too much into it, I'd recommend you talk to Mum or Dad, or both," said George all serious again.

"Oh flipping heck? I don't have to ask them for Ginny's hand in marriage or something, do I?" Hermione said with a fearful expression.

"No, no, I don't mean that, I just think you should talk to them first. We can't have them keeling over face down into their Christmas dinner from the shock, can we?" he laughed.

"I do owe so much to your mum. I suppose I do owe her the right to know what I'm thinking of doing," said Hermione, then she suddenly let out a quiet. "Arrrghhh!"

"You Ok?" asked George.

"Just a bit nervous already," she admitted, feeling a few flutters in her stomach and chest.

"You said, you have the afternoon off? Why don't you go and see Mum today?" he suggested.

"I could do," she sighed.

"Get it over and done with," he said encouragingly. "She'll be fine with it, I'm sure."

After finishing her cup of tea with George and bidding him farewell, she walked a little further down Diagon Alley and looked in the window of a shop that sold some old jewellery, already contemplating the task before her.

The amazing thing was, she couldn't find a thing wrong with George's suggestion and in fact knew that it was exactly what she wanted to do, despite the lack of preparation. First things first, talk to Mrs. Weasley, whether Mr. Weasley was there or not.

She Apparated to the Burrow and walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley wasn't in there, so Hermione walked through to the living room, which was also empty. She was about to call upstairs when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hermione?" she said, holding a hand to her chest in surprise.

"Hello," the brunette said, already feeling a little tongue-tied as the older woman descended the stairs.

"Would you like a cuppa?" she said as she walked past her and through to the kitchen.

"Yes please," said Hermione.

She had only just had a cup of tea with George, but having a cup in one's hand could be helpful to the thought processes.

Hermione sat at the table as Mrs. Weasley poured out two cups of tea. As she brought them over to the table she could see that Hermione was troubled by something.

"Everything alright, dear?" she asked kindly.

"Yes," the brunette replied. "I think."

"Come on then, what's on your mind. I love to see you, but to turn up unexpected like this means you have something going on in that brilliant head of yours?"

"Yes," Hermione said again. "I'm not quite sure how to say this, so I think I might just blurt it out."

"I'm listening," said Mrs. Weasley, taking a sip from her cup.

_She's going to spit that out when I tell her_, thought Hermione..

"Right," she said. "I want to propose to Ginny. To ask her to marry me, or whatever it is two women can do to be committed to each other in the magical world. I know you can in the muggle world so I assume we can in the magical?"

Mrs. Weasley didn't splutter at all, she put her mug back onto the table and gave Hermione a huge smile.

"Finally!" the older woman said. "And yes, you can marry. We magic folk have never really had a problem with it. But _finally_! This is great news!"

"What?" asked an astonished Hermione.

"I thought I'd be as old as Muriel by the time Ginny got the courage to do it," said a delighted Mrs. Weasley. "Anyone can see that you're meant for each other. I'm so pleased it's going to be you to ask."

"You are?"

"Yes. George has been telling me for weeks that Ginny didn't want to pressure you," the older woman chuckled. "You haven't seen George lately, have you?"

"Errmm, yes, just before I came here," said Hermione, realizing that she could well have been manipulated and manoeuvered into this position.

"Well, good for him. He said he'd try to talk to you if he saw you, and that he'd send you to me or Arthur," Mrs. Weasley noticed the confused and perplexed look she was getting from Hermione and added. "Don't be angry with him, or with me, dear, we wanted what's best for you both. Sometimes people need a little shove to see it. I know to some people it seems fast, but you two have such an undeniable bond, you have shared so many things, even before you got together romantically; you're meant to be together...it's obvious."

Hermione couldn't quite believe her ears, but nodded in acceptance to what Mrs. Weasley said; she couldn't be angry, because she really did want to marry Ginny.

"Anyway, the problem I have now is trying to find a ring before Christmas, and I haven't a clue where to look in the magic world, so I'll probably have to look in the muggle shops." said the brunette, sighing, as she held her mug of tea in both hands, enjoying the warmth of it.

"Just a moment," said Mrs. Weasley.

The older witch, got up from the table, and went into the living room. Hermione heard some drawers being opened and some rustling. Mrs. Weasley came back and sat down again.

"You don't have to say 'yes' to this ,dear, and in some ways I thought it might be you to own it, from Ron, but anyway I know Ginny would find it special."

Hermione wondered what the woman was rambling on about, when Mrs. Weasley set a very old, and battered little box onto the table in front of her.

"Open it," said Mrs. Weasley.

The younger woman picked it up, slid back the small catch and opened it. Inside was a gold band ring, set with four small green emeralds and one single ruby in the middle. It wasn't a knuckleduster type ring and the stones were set into the gold so it was simple and flat, but very beautiful, and the stones caught the light as if they were living things. In the muggle world Hermione thought it might be called a gypsy ring, _although I've never seem gemstones glitter and sparkle like that in the muggle world_, she thought.

"It's gorgeous," Hermione said, taking it out from its velvet slot, to look more closely at it.

"It was my mother's engagement ring, and her mother's before that, and her mother's before that and probably her mother's before that and beyond, we're not sure how far back it goes, exactly," Mrs. Weasley said. "I didn't get to wear it myself; Arthur and I just kind of got married fast, if you know what I mean," she winked. "I always thought, of all our children, it would go to Ron for some reason, for his fiancée, which I hoped would be you. But now, I'd love you to have it, but to give to Ginny."

"I don't know what to say?"

"If you don't like it, I'll understand, I will, but I would love to see it worn again," the older woman said with great sentimentality.

"It's perfect," Hermione said, with tears in her eyes. "I'd be so honoured to give this to Ginny," she smiled, then said. "As long as she doesn't think I'm being cheap?"

"She's always loved that ring," Mrs. Weasley said. "She was also always annoyed that she wouldn't be the one to wear it, and that I'd told her it would be Ron or one of the other boys giving it to _their_ fiancée. I could have given it to her, to give to you, but George says she's been so worried about rushing you."

"Your daughter is a beautiful person," Hermione told her mother-in-law to be. "Both in mind and body."

"You'll let me help with the wedding?" the older woman said enthusiatically.

"Good grief! I haven't proposed yet?" Hermione laughed.

"A formality," Mrs. Weasley said confidently. "When will you propose?"

"I was thinking for Christmas, maybe Christmas Eve or probably the day before."

"Awww, wonderful," said Mrs. Weasley. "You'll have to have a double-party here to celebrate your engagement and Christmas."

"I suppose so," Hermione said, deep in thought. "Whew! I'm just a bit nervous about it all."

"How do you think I am? Proposals, weddings and a grandchild on the way?" the older woman laughed heartily, and Hermione couldn't stop herself from joining in.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything, and for accepting Ginny and I."

"Come here, "Mrs. Weasley said, rising from her chair and going over to hug Hermione. "We would be fools to stand in the way of what you two girls have."

After a little more excited talk, mainly from Mrs. Weasley, Hermione bid her farewell and Apparated back to Holyhead, with the ring in its box, safely in her pocket. As soon as she got home, she went to the bedroom and hid the little box in the top drawer of her bedside cabinet.

_That's one problem solved,_ she thought, _now I've got to actually ask Ginny. In private would probably be the ideal...with a romantic dinner together here._

Her mind was already thinking of what she could cook, and that it would probably be the day before Christmas Eve, before they went to go to the Burrow. She still had butterflies in her tummy, with the possibility of a rogue Cornish pixie in there too.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: By the end of this chapter you'll either love me or hate me. ;)**

44

It was fortunate in some ways that Ginny would be leaving on the Friday morning for the match weekend. It gave Hermione less time to act odd around her, when thinking of her newly accepted status of planning to propose to the woman she loved the following week. She knew if she had a couple more days she would be better adjusted and wouldn't be in danger of giving off strange signals, and that would make the following week leading up to Christmas, easier to deal with, no matter which people she was around.

Hermione had wondered what would happen on Saturday, whether she came home to change for the evening, or went to the match dressed up. She asked Ginny, and she said she could come back to change, although Ginny herself had her outfit at the Harpies ready. Apparently the team had gone shopping together for their outfits, so Hermione hadn't seen what Ginny would be wearing. Deciding to be equal on that front, Hermione hadn't shown Ginny what she was going to wear either.

There was almost a carnival atmosphere at the Harpies' last match of the season. Partly for the approach of Christmas and partly for the fact the Harpies were league champions. Several of the crowd had amusing green santa hats on, with the words, "Santa is a Harpies Fan" flashing around it.

The Weasley's nearly filled their player's box, with both Bill and Fleur and Percy there too. Even Harry had shown up for the match.

The crowd roared as each Harpies player was announced and made their way onto the pitch. The Weasley's made a tumultuous noise for Ginny when she appeared, and Hermione suspected if they kept this up all match that everyone would go home with croaky strained voices.

Caerphilly Catapults were not the greatest team this season, only managing mid-table mediocrity, but as a fellow Welsh side, there was a little rivalry present.

It wasn't much of a match, with the Harpies really turning on the style, and with Ginny pulling off some very showy moves it was also 'turning on' Hermione. _Mind out of the gutter_, she told herself, _plenty of time for that back at home_.

The Harpies were leading 60-0, with Ginny scoring fifty of those points, and then Geri the seeker, caught the snitch. It was over in forty-five minutes. The crowd didn't seem to mind and were going crazy and the team did a nice bit of formation flying as a victory salute to the supporters.

Once down on the pitch, some very official-looking older wizards and witches came onto the pitch, one carrying a very large trophy. There were a few rather boring speeches, which reminded Hermione of sports award speeches in the muggle world. _I see they have plenty of old farts in this world too_, she thought, bored senseless by the droning-on of one of the quidditch league's officials, thanking nearly everyone and their cat for an amazing season of play from all the teams and in particular the Harpies.

Finally the League Champion's trophy was given to Gwenog Jones, the head coach, who raised it high, then passed it on to each of the team, all raising it to the crowd for their own little celebration.

Hermione had her hands clasped tightly before her and nearly lost control when Ginny raised the trophy, finding it impossible to stop herself from jumping up and down, excited. Ron looked at her and laughed, but he had been jumping up and down too, so she wasn't alone in her enthusiasm.

The team did a lap of honour with the trophy on foot, then took to the air, passing it amongst themselves. Ginny stopped in mid air, in front of the box, smiling and waving madly. Hermione blew her a kiss, and Ginny did the same for her. Again, Ron couldn't stop laughing.

It was a marvellous day, to see Ginny being part of such a successful team and she was quicker than usual at getting to see them after the match.

When Ginny walked in, she was swamped by the Weasley's all wanting to hug her. Hermione kept to one side to avoid the stampede and crush, but she could see that Ginny was looking for her amongst all the arms reaching for her.

Eventually the family crush subsided and then Ginny caught Hermione's eye and immediately she went to her and gave her a big hug.

"You're a champion!" Hermione said, thinking she sounded a bit like a ten-year-old fan, meeting her idol. "Oops, sorry! That sounded silly!"

"I don't care!" Ginny said. "We won the league and I have you here and we're all going to have a bloody good time tonight."

"Absolutely!" Hermione agreed.

"Well, I won't stay longer, everyone," said Ginny to the room. "I'll get all these press things and interviews out of the way first and then I'll see you all tonight! I love you all!" she said as she left the room.

"It's fantastic!" Ron said.

"I know!" Hermione said. "I almost feel like I've been out there playing and winning too!"

There was a lot of excited chatter as the whole Weasley clan and the extras of Hermione and Harry got themselves together and Apparated back to their homes to prepare for the evening in a few hours time. Mrs. Weasley had insisted that everyone go to the Burrow after the party, and that sounded exactly the right thing to do. Ginny could be there too as there wasn't any need for her to stay away for Saturday night, being the last domestic match of the season.

Hermione had decided to wear something classic for the party, which Ginny and the Weasley's had told her was a bit more glammed up than Halloween had been. So on the Friday, Hermione had decided to buy a black dress, cut to the curve of her body, with sleeves, and a full skirt which was subtly pleated, with a deep maroon velvet to the pleats, making it, not quite a ball gown, but an elegant dress for the occasion. It wasn't too low cut, but accentuated the curve of her bust, giving it an almost medieval feel to the bodice section.

She wore her hair down, with just a little styling product to avoid that bushy look which had haunted her for most of her life, and she wore a simple necklace. She had a few items in a small black handbag, so her whole outift matched up well.

Time went faster than she thought it would, and after another look in the mirror to make sure everything was how it should be, she Apparated to the Burrow, so she could go with the rest of the family.

"Hermione, you look wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Bloody hell!" Ron said, looking over his former girlfriend with an appreciative gaze.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Ronald," Hermione smiled.

Fleur came over to her and hugged her. "You look fantastic!" she said, standing back to look at her again.

"Thanks, Fleur."

The Frenchwoman leaned in closer to whisper for Hermione's ears only.

"You're going to drive Ginny wild. She'll want you the second she sees you!"

"I blooming hope so, the trouble I've gone to?" Hermione laughed.

The whole family Apparated to Holyhead, to just outside the stadium. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had their entry cards, and everyone was allowed through with minimal fuss, to make their way to the room where the party was.

They walked in, and there were people everywhere. It seemed that each squad member had a table set aside for their family and friends. The Weasley's were taken to a place near to the front, where a small stage had been set up, ready for the awards and speeches part of the evening.

With such a large family, their allocated table was magically enlarged, with enough chairs around to seat them all comfortably.

Hermione kept looking around to see where Ginny was. The room was a little dimly lit, but not dark; she couldn't see her girlfriend anywhere. Harry was sitting next to her, and saw her moving her head about searching the room.

"She'll be here soon, I'm sure," Harry said to her. "By the way, you look amazing."

"Thanks Harry," she said to her best friend. "You're looking very handsome yourself."

Harry was wearing a black suit and tie, but he looked particularly smart and well-groomed, where as Ron was wearing a suit, but somehow still managed to look scruffy. The Weasley men were wearing a variety of coloured suit-style robes and more classic suits and a big variety of disastrous ties. Ron's yellow tie looked a bit like he had a fillet of smoked haddock hanging from his neck.

A few moments later there was a lot of chatter from the door and the players walked in, and the room errupted into a round of applause, with some wolf whistles. The latter were mainly provided by George and Ron.

Hermione got a good look at her girlfriend as she made her way over to the table. _My god, she's gorgeous! _she thought.

Ginny was wearing a dress of deep purple, almost as classically cut as Hermione's, accentuating her curvy and athletic body. Hermione didn't just mentally lick her lips, she physically did too.

As the Weasley's favourite player reached the table, Hermione stood up and greeted her with a warm embrace.

"I won't kiss you yet, love," Hermione whispered. "I don't want to mess up your make-up, as I'm sure you'll have to get on stage tonight."

Ginny pulled back from her girlfriend laughing softly at her. "As long as I get one later?"

"Of course!"

"Good, because you look ravishing tonight," said Ginny leaning in to whisper again. "I would be very disappointed if I could only look and not touch," she grinned.

After about fifteen minutes, when all the players had settled at their tables, and had greeted their friends and family, a couple of the club officials walked onto the stage carrying three small trophies and one larger one, which they placed on a table on the stage.

A spotlight fell onto the stage and a few of the club officials gave small speeches, and then the chairman of the Harpies began to speak. _Not another old fart?_ Hermione thought, although a bit annoyed at herself for her impatience, so she held on to Ginny's hand, and made herself listen.

The wizard had a monotonous, dull voice and he seemed to go on forever, nearly repeating what had been said after the match when the team were crowned champions and repeating his thanks to some of the people mentioned in the speeches before his. He thanked the groundstaff, the coaching staff, the medical staff, the club shop staff, the ticket sellers, the players, the sponsors, the fans...

"Why doesn't he thank the bloody tea lady next?" Hermione said, unable to keep the thought to herself.

Ron snorted with laughter, which made Harry snort with laughter, which then set off George and Bill; Fleur had to look away from Bill because they always set each other off giggling; Mr. Weasley made a funny noise in the back of his throat which he somehow stopped after his wife fixed him with a disapproving look. Unfortunately the small disturbance Hermione had caused put the chairman off his speech and he paused momentarily to look in their direction. The only one looking as affronted as the chairman was Percy, but there was no surprise on that account.

"Patience," Ginny whispered to her, and pressed a tiny kiss to her ear, which set off a little shiver through Hermione's body.

After another minute or two of droning, the first award was handed out for Best Newcomer, to a young woman, Grace Wilkinson, freshly signed from Hogwarts, aged eighteen, who had played brilliantly at keeper for a couple of games to cover for the injured regular first teamer.

There was an achievement award for Gwenog Jones to mark her success as head coach. And next would be the Best Player of the Season.

Hermione gave Ginny's hand a squeeze, whether it was to calm her girlfriend's nerves or her own, she didn't know for sure.

"The winner of the award for Best Harpies Player, is also the winner of the whole Quidditch League's Player of the Season award," the Chairman said gesturing to the larger trophy on the table. "A woman of extraordinary talent, strength, speed, gracefulness and she has entertained us all season."

At this point Hermione shut her eyes. _Let it be Ginny, let it be Ginny_, she repeated in her head.

"The winner is," the chairman paused for effect. "Ginny Weasley!"

Hermione threw her arms around her girlfriend, so proud and excited for her. The Weasley table went wild, even Percy stood up and started clapping madly like a seal in a circus.

"I knew you'd win!" Hermione said, as Ginny laughed and then disentangled herself from her family to make her way to the stage.

Ginny received both trophies, and raised them up to the room, before setting them down again and giving a small acceptance speech.

"I think our chairman has covered everyone we should thank" she said, to which Ron gave a tiny snort of laughter in Hermione's direction again. "This is an amazing quidditch team to be a part of. Everyone is so talented and none of this season would have been possible without each and every squad member giving their all. Hopefully we'll keep it going in the European Cup in the new year! At least we'll be playing proper matches and not a long list of friendlies like some of our rivals!" The room cheered.

"I'd like to thank my parents and family and friends. You have been amazing and I'm very lucky to have you all. And mostly importantly, a special thank you to my girlfriend, Hermione," she paused and looked directly to her. Hermione had tears in her eyes.

"You mean the world to me, Hermione. I'm a better person for having you in my life and you are just as important to this wonderful season I've had, as everyone else has been. I love you with all that I am," said Ginny, who was also on the verge of tears herself. "Thank you everyone!"

Ginny shook hands with several of the officials on the stage and had a couple of photos taken for the Daily Prophet and a quidditch magazine or two, and was then greeted and congratulated by a few others as she tried to make her way back to the table to share everything with Hermione and her family.

After several minutes, juggling her two trophies to shake outstretched hands she made it back to the Weasley table. Everyone gave her a hug and kiss, even Harry, who was genuinely just as pleased and proud of her as everyone else had been. Ron and Bill were inspecting the trophies, very impressed and proud that their sister had won the Quidditch's League's Player of the Season award.

Ginny looked around for Hermione and realized she wasn't there; no sign of her except her handbag.

"Where's Hermione?" she asked a little alarmed.

"She just went to the loo," Mrs. Weasley said. "I think she wanted to wash her face, some cold water," she whispered.

"Oh, she's OK, though?"

"Yes, dear. Just very proud and emotional for you."

Ginny sat down, hoping Hermione would come back soon, or she would go and find her. However, several minutes passed by, and Ginny was getting worried.

"Can I have your attention please," said a male voice.

Everyone looked to the stage, where the chairman had placed himself again, looking as though he was trying to peer into the room of people to find someone.

"What now?" Ron said in a low voice. "Surely he didn't forget to thank someone or something?"

"I'm afraid I require the help of Ginny Weasley again. If you wouldn't mind?"

"What?" Ginny said surprised. "It's not something wrong with Hermione is it Mum?" she said, her hands shaking slightly, feeling a definite sign of dread in the pit of her stomach, which was never good.

"I don't know sweetheart?" Mrs. Weasley said very concerned herself. "You'd better go and see what he wants. I expect they just want more photos or something ,dear. We're here if you need us."

Ginny made her way uncertainly to the stage, and walked up to the chairman.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly, unable to hide some of her apprehension.

"We have a little situation, more like a request in truth, and we thought it best to call you up here," he said to her just as quietly and in a very serious voice.

The room was full of whispers and mumbling with faces looking her way, some wondering what was happening, others just assuming Ginny was needed for a photo call or something.

"Situation? Request?" Ginny asked, confused and bothered and extremely worried now.

"That young woman over there," he pointed to the shadows at the side of the stage. "I believe you know her?" he actually smiled.

Ginny looked into the shadows, still utterly puzzled by what was going on, and she felt even more confused as she saw Hermione walk out of the shadows, towards her on the stage.

"Hermione?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

Hermione took a deep breath as she reached her girlfriend. The room went a bit quieter as the people saw the two women on the stage, and some soft lighting fell onto them.

"Ginny, you're a brilliant quidditch player and thoroughly deserve those awards tonight," Hermione said in a clear, loud voice and was greeted with applause for Ginny again. The said player in question still looked disconcerted.

"However, you're an even better person than you are a quidditch player. I love you deeply and I have done for so long now. To be a part of your life is like a dream come true for me. I'm not sure if I could ever explain to you just what you mean to me and how you saved my life in so many ways," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"So," Hermione said, taking another deep breath, and fumbling with something in her hand. "It will be easier if I do this."

Holding the skirts of her dress in one hand, she dropped to the floor on one knee, held out a little battered box, which was open.

"Will you marry me, Ginny Weasley?"

The room all gasped with surprise and held their breath, not wanting to miss the reply.

Ginny put a hand to her mouth in shock, but she had tears streaming down her face now. She looked at the little box proffered to her and saw the ring, _that_ ring. She briefly turned her head in the direction of the Weasley table, completely astonished and stunned.

She looked back at Hermione, who knelt before her, also with more tears rolling down her cheeks, looking determined but very nervous and a bit scared.

"Yes," Ginny whispered. "Of course, yes!" she said in a much clearer voice.

The room burst into cheering and everyone seemed to be hugging each other. She took hold of Hermione's hand and helped her rise from the floor. She threw her arms around her and then kissed her passionately, showing how much she meant the answer she had given.

"I love you Hermione," she said, between small sobs of happiness. "I love you so much."

"Let's do this properly then," Hermione said,

The brunette removed the ring from the box, took hold of Ginny's left hand and slid the ring onto her wedding finger, kissing it into place. It was a perfect fit, although Hermione suspected that being an old heirloom from a magical family, it would probably fit whomsoever the recipient was.

"How?" Ginny said amazed, looking at the ring. "Where? When?"

"Your mum," she said simply.

The two women hugged each other fiercely again, before making their way to their family. Mrs. Weasley was in tears, as was Fleur and even Mr. Weasley looked a little bleary-eyed. Both Harry and Ron seemed genuinely happy for them...on the surface at least. Those two had almost made Hermione think twice, but when she thought of doing this at that very moment, she had thought, _Bugger it, I can't keep tiptoeing around them, this is our life and they'll have to deal with it._

Hermione didn't really know why she had taken the ring with her tonight. She had thought it more of a security issue to have it with her rather than leaving it in an empty house, but after seeing Ginny win those awards and hearing her speak to the room, she knew the right moment was now.

They both knew it would probably make the Daily Prophet's front page, but Hermione couldn't care less. At least this time, they would be reporting on a relationship she was actually truly in, and not some made-up nonsense about her dating everyone and their dog, as happened during her fourth year at Hogwarts.

There was much hugging and tears, and Hermione and Ginny could honestly say they had never felt happier.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Thanks for the nice response to Chapter 44. I've sometimes witnessed when an author gives a happy, warm and squidgy moment they get completely flamed...it wouldn't have bothered me personally and would have been amusing, but I decided to warn you, that you would either love me or hate me for it. :) I don't like misery for too long. **

**Well this is the penultimate update, two chapters today and the final two tomorrow. This update is ****Chapters 45 & 46.**** This 2-chapter arc is called "Gifts". **

**Warning:**** Adult Content.**

45

After a very enjoyable evening at the Harpies, there was much to celebrate back at the Burrow too. Mr. Weasley had cracked open the firewhiskey and port and anything anyone wanted to drink. The Weasley's were well stocked in readiness for Christmas and it seemed perfect to celebrate something even more special now.

With everyone holding a glass of drink of one kind or another, Fleur keeping to pumpkin juice, Mr. Weasley clinked his glass for silence in the room.

"I won't say too much, " he smiled around at his family. "Only that I'm an extremely proud father tonight. For everthing that Ginny has achieved in her quidditch and most especially seeing her and Hermione so happy." He raised his glass. "To Ginny and Hermione. May you both have much love and happiness together."

The whole room raised their glasses, even Harry and Ron, although if one looked closely enough at them, both had an understandable tinge of sadness to their eyes. Ginny had gone and hugged her father, both of whom unashamedly had tears in their eyes again.

Hermione stood there, almost overwhelmed by it all as she saw everyone smiling warmly at her and Ginny. _I proposed_, she thought, _I actually proposed, in front of the entire Harpies squad. Bloody hell, how did I do that?_

Mr. Weasley came over to her and hugged her, for what was possibly the third or fourth time that night. And where Arthur went, Molly always followed, and gave her a fierce hug too.

"I had no idea you'd do that tonight?" Mrs. Weasley said to Hermione for yet another time.

"Neither did I," the brunette replied. "It just seemed right."

"Oh, it was, dear. It was stunning!" the older woman replied. "Ginny didn't know what had hit her! I've never seen her so lost for words!"

"Thank you, mother!" Ginny said, in a funny voice.

"It's true, dear," Mrs. Weasley continued. "It was so romantic and I bet every single person in that room wanted to be you, Ginny."

"Of course they wanted to be me!" she said. "Who wouldn't?" she laughed.

"Hermione, I think you're going to have to work on your fiancée's big head," Mrs. Weasley winked.

"Still standing right here?" Ginny said, playing the part of an insulted victim.

"Yeah, Hermione, you might have to widen the doors at the cottage so sis here can walk through them!" said George, who had joined their little group.

Ginny stood there with her hands on her hips, scowling at her brother, which just made them all burst out laughing, including Ginny.

"Anyway, you'll let me know when you want the wedding won't you?" Mrs. Weasley said, as if they might forget to tell her about it.

Ginny rolled her eyes, but put an arm around her mother. "You'll be the first to know."

It was quite late, as they hadn't been able to leave all that early from the function at the Harpies, but they still all sat around talking. After a time, Hermione found herself next to Fleur on the sofa.

"Sorry to keep you up late," Hermione said. "You must be exhausted. You don't have to stay up for us. I'm thinking of turning in soon myself."

"Oh yes?" Fleur said with a raised eyebrow.

"Noooo, not that!" Hemione chuckled. "To sleep."

"Hmm-mm?"

"You have sex on the brain?" Hermione accused her friend, and future sister-in-law.

"I'm French," Fleur said, as if that explained it. "And pregnant. So you can imagine the combination you get from a French, pregnant part-Veela?"

"Oh, that's a weak excuse," Hermione grinned. "Seriously though, how are you doing?"

"I'm OK. I get tired, I get a bit fed up of having to accomodate this extra piece of me which is starting to stick out, but mostly I'm doing well."

"Maybe you can give Ron some tips on accomodating an extra piece that sticks out on _him_?" Hermione said, making them both cackle with laughter.

"Really though, I'm so pleased to hear you're doing well, Fleur."

"You made me jealous tonight," said the Frenchwoman.

"Really?"

"It was beautiful how you proposed. Bill just kind of mumbled at me, as if we were discussing potion ingredients, when he proposed to me," she laughed.

"It seems I provided a lot of light entertainment for many people tonight," said Hermione.

"What matters, is that you meant what you said," Fleur told her. "Not where it was, who else was there, but just the bond and moment between the two of you. Although I have to say the moment you chose just added to the whole brilliance of it."

"I suppose Ginny and I will have to work on when to have the wedding now?" Hermione said, feeling tired at the thought of it.

"I see you already have a wedding planner?" Fleur said nodding in the direction of Mrs. Weasley.

"Actually, I think it will help a lot. As long as we have our family and friends there, I'm not sure I care too much about every tiny detail."

"I admire that," said the Frenchwoman, unable to stop a yawn. "I think I _will_ turn in for the night now."

As was usual when something big was celebrated at the Burrow, everyone stayed the night there too. Fleur hugged Hermione, and then went to tell Bill and Mrs. Weasley that she was going to bed. Bill decided to join her, after hugging his sister and Hermione.

The brunette wandered into the kitchen and took a couple of empty glasses with her. She set them down on the draining board. Ginny was talking with George, Harry and her parents. The kitchen door was open and Hermione decided to walk out and take a look at the stars.

She looked up at the dark sky, trying to remember all the things on astronomy she had learned at Hogwarts. It was chilly outside, but it cleared her head and made her feel fresher.

"Hi Hermione," said a familiar voice.

She turned to where the voice was, peering through the darkness, and saw Ron standing a couple of yards away from her.

"Hi Ron," she said. "I thought I'd just take a look at the sky, as well as get a breath of fresh air."

"Our family can be a bit full on, can't they?" Ron said.

"It's not that," Hermione replied. "I love your family very much. No, I just wanted to look at the stars and feel a bit more alive...if that's even possible after this evening."

Hermione felt awkward, but walked over to Ron. He was leaning against the wall of his father's shed, so she stood next to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you any warning," she said. "About tonight, I mean?"

"It wasn't my business," Ron said. "It was a shock, I'll admit, but I should have listened to George; he's been hinting at something like this for weeks. I thought he was talking rubbish."

"I didn't do this in front of you and Harry to rub your noses in it," she said, feeling like she had to explain herself. "I had meant to propose in private. But tonight just seemed right, the moment picked itself almost."

"I know Hermione. You don't have to explain it to me." he said.

"I just want you to know, that's all," she added, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"I felt sad when I saw you two up on that stage. I wanted to shout out that it should have been me and you. But I know that's not what you wanted, and not what Ginny wanted. I think there will always be a piece of my heart broken for you," he said in a quiet, low voice. "But I already know that I'm glad you're still in my life, even if it's not in the way I hoped, and I'm glad we had what we had. I just want you and Ginny to be happy now."

Hermione got hold of his hand and squeezed it. "That means a lot to me, Ron," she said, genuinely choked with emotion.

They both fell silent, deep in thought, looking up occasionally at the starry sky, and watching the steam of their breaths in the cold night.

"How's Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure, you can never completely tell with that bloke, can you?" Ron answered. "I think he was shocked like me, and maybe upset, but from what he's told me, I think he's reached the point I have. Acceptance, laced with sadness, but wanting you both to be happy."

"I'm so sorry my two best friends had to be hurt," she said, meaning every word.

"Yeah, well whoever said 'life is never easy', were not joking were they?" he chuckled.

"Hermione?" a voice called from the door.

Ginny walked out of the door, peering into the darkness for her fiancée.

"Over here!" Hermione called to her.

The red-haired woman walked over to them, only seeing them clearly once she was a step or two closer.

"What are doing out here?" she asked, not looking completely at ease, at finding Hermione with her brother out in the dark.

"Just taking a look at the stars, then I found Ron out here and we were just talking," said Hermione, reaching out a hand to find Ginny's.

"I wondered where you'd got to?" said Ginny.

"Well, I haven't done a midnight bunk, after suddenly realizing I proposed to the wrong girl," Hermione grinned. "In case you were worrying about that?"

"Hmm, I never know what you're up to when you go missing on me _these_ days," Ginny said with equal humour. "You do like surprising people!"

"I'll turn in for the night now, girls," said Ron, beginning to feel very awkward, and a bit like a hippogriff at a pixies-only party.

He hugged both women. "Congratulations again," he said, before heading back to the house.

Ginny put her arms around Hermione's waist, and the brunette did the same back and they stood there, resting their heads on each other's shoulders.

"This has been the best night of my life," Ginny said.

"Mine too," Hermione replied.

"I wanted to propose to _you_ a couple of weeks ago, but I thought it was too soon and I..."

"You don't have to worry about any of that. Your mum and George filled me in," said Hermione, moving back to look at her, the light from the open kitchen door faintly touching Ginny's eyes. "I know why you didn't ask me, and I understand it all. It's because you love me, and you're so good to me," Hermione said, leaning in to lightly press her lips to Ginny's.

Ginny rubbed her hands down Hermione's arms and reached her hands. "My goodness, you're freezing?" said the redhead as she brought each hand to her lips.

Hermione leaned in close. "So warm me up," she said, before kissing Ginny more deeply.

"Bed?" asked the redhead.

"Bed!" laughed Hermione. _Hmm, Fleur was right,_ she thought amused, _it seems I'm not just going to sleep tonight!_

The two women walked back to the house, Mrs. Weasley looked like she was about to say "Aww" when she saw them come back inside holding hands, but Hermione prevented it.

"Thank you for a lovely night, we're going to turn in now, it's been a long day," said the brunette. "It was so special to have you all there. I love you all so much."

Mrs. Weasley came and hugged them both, as did her husband and then, Harry stepped forward and gave them both a fierce hug. He looked quite emotional, and very much like Ron had said. He looked happy for them, but sad for himself. George came and embraced them too.

_I won't be surprised if Ginny and I are covered in bruises tomorrow from all this hugging,_ Hermione thought, laughing inside.

"See?" George said. "I told you, didn't I?"

"Maybe I should ask Professor Trelawney to pay you a visit?" Hermione quipped. "Perhaps you can cover her lessons for her sometimes?"

George laughed. "I knew it would all go fine, but I didn't have a clue you'd propose in front of bloody everyone like that?"

"That's Hermione," Ginny said. "Full of surprises."

"Really?" said George raising an eyebrow. "Care to tell me more?"

"NO!" Ginny and Hermione said together, laughing.

"Night all," they said as they made their way up to Ginny's room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Closing the bedroom door behind her, Hermione, leant back against it and sighed. Ginny had picked up her wand and set their old-familiar locking and silencing charms.

Ginny walked up to her, resting a hand against the door, she leaned in and kissed Hermione, gently but deeply, leaving them both with faster pulses.

"You look so wonderful tonight," said Ginny, smoothing a hand down from Hermione's cheek, to the swell of her breasts, to the curve of her hips, enjoying the feeling of her lover's body through that wonderful dress.

"So do you," Hermione said reaching both hands forward to Ginny's waist, pulling her closer to her, and then resting her hands on a firm backside. She lowered her head and placed feathery kisses to the tops of Ginny's breasts, the parts that were visible from the dress. She received some adorable little whimpering moans from Ginny in return.

Witches didn't really need to use hands to undo zips on dresses, but there was something very sensual about undressing your lover the manual way.

Ginny's hands reached around the back of Hermione's dress, and gently pulled the zip down, kissing the side of Hermione's neck as she did so.

"I love you in this dress," the redhead said. "But I want to see you out of it now."

She peeled the materal down Hermione's arms and lowered it down her lover's body, letting it pool at her feet, leaving Hermione standing before her wearing sexy black underwear.

As Ginny roamed her eyes over Hermione's body, the brunette stepped forward and unzipped and undressed Ginny, now leaving two rather stunning dresses in two pooled heaps of material on the floor.

Ginny moved forwards to hold Hermione, but the brunette held up a hand to stop her.

"What's the matter?"

"Just a moment," Hermione said, looking through the material on the floor for her wand, giving Ginny a wonderful view as she bent over in front of her.

The redhead couldn't resist touching and squeezing the ample backside in front of her.

Hermione spun around with her wand pointed at Ginny. "Wait!" she admonished her lover.

Seeing a presence of slight shock fleetingly pass across Ginny's face she immediately went to her and placed a peck on her lips. She then stood before the two single beds and flicked her wand.

"I've been looking for a spell to do this for a while," Hermione said, as the two beds became one large one.

"Ohh!" Ginny said.

Hermione turned towards her, and in double quick time she took off her bra and undies and stood stark naked in front of her drooling girlfriend.

"_Now_ you can do whatever you want to me?" Hermione grinned wickedly, as she laid back on the bed.

Ginny pounced on the bed, and crawled up her lover's body, a bit like a cat, jumping on it's prey.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?" Ginny said in a husky voice, laden with desire as she hovered over her.

Hermione slid a hand between them and into Ginny's undies, sliding two fingers into the woman's most intimate place, feeling the wetness of desire gathered there.

"Oh, I think I know," said Hermione.

Her fingers rubbed against the place that needed them most, and she saw Ginny close her eyes and moan in pleasure. With her other hand she picked up her wand again and flicked it, and wordlessly Ginny's underwear disappeared; the redhead gasping with surprise and amusement.

"Needs, must," Hermione said.

"Hmm, I need you," Ginny said.

"You have me," said Hermione as she flipped them over so she was on top, settled between Ginny's legs, and entered her lover with two fingers, at the moment their lips met.

"I thought I was...the one...to do what I...wanted...to _you_?" Ginny managed to say, in between little grunts of pleasure.

"I got impatient. You know how I get," Hermione said, which made Ginny give a throaty laugh.

They kissed passionately, kissing not only lips but any bare skin within reach. This wasn't so much about exploration as a deep desire to show the depth of their love.

Hermione rocked her hips against the back of her hand, which was pleasuring her lover, giving herself some much needed friction. She could feel Ginny getting close to her release, and wanted to join her, and thrust her hips harder.

Even in her state of wanton abandon, Ginny sensed her girlfriend's attempt to climax with her and managed to slide a hand between them, which momentarily stopped Hermione's thrusts as she felt the hand between them. Ginny's questing fingers found their goal and she rubbed at Hermione's throbbing centre, occasionally dipping inside her.

The two women felt each other cresting that pinnacle; they had become so attuned to each other, emotionally and physically, it was like their bodies waited for each other.

Hermione lowered herself over her lover, their breasts rubbing against each other as she kissed Ginny's lips. She felt her inside walls begin to clench and could feel Ginny's do the same.

"I love you so much, " she said, before kissing Ginny deeply again as they both came hard. Moaning into each other's mouthes, hips bucking against questing hands, bodies tingling all over.

Still panting, Ginny flipped them over again so she was on top, much to the surprise of a sated Hermione. She moved their hands away, and carefully lowered herself so their nether lips met, pulsing clits pressing against each other. Each could feel the other's sex flinching with post orgasmic spasms.

"Can you feel me?" Ginny said breathily.

"Mm, yes" was all Hermione could utter in reply.

Ginny began to grind into Hermione, building up speed, as she gave both of them enough friction to feel the burning wonderfulness building within them again. In a very short time they were both moaning out in pleasure as another orgasm coursed through their bodies.

Both women were covered in a sheen of sweat, and with the coolness of the night and the height of their passion, Hermione had begun to shiver. Ginny used some wordless magic to summon a quilt, to cover them, snuggling closer to her lover, placing small kisses to her lips and cheek, both enjoying each other and the closeness they had.

"So, you still want to marry me, then?" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow.

Ginny burst out laughing. "I think I gave you enough hints in the last few minutes."

"Ah, perhaps you only want me for sex?"

"I want to marry you _and_ I want you for sex," Ginny said.

"OK, I accept," Hermione laughed.

"I could make love to you all day and all night," Ginny said, pressing small kisses to Hermione's shoulder, nearest to her.

"I probably wouldn't be able to walk the next day!" They laughed again.

"I'm glad I'm not a man," Ginny suddenly said.

"You have my vote there!" Hermione grinned.

"No, I was thinking about penises."

"Oh?"

"Always having to get it 'up' to do anything. Where as, we just go for it whenever we like," said Ginny.

"Yeah, we're right little sex bunnies," Hermione chuckled.

"Do you miss it?" Ginny asked.

"Miss what?"

"Ron...you know...and his appendage?"

Hermione snorted, but then thought seriously on it. "No I don't miss it. After...after Felgate, I'm not sure I ever want to experience it again."

Ginny kissed her. "I didn't mean to bring that up, sorry love."

"No, it's OK. I don't want anything to be off-limits when I talk with you, Gin," Hermione looked at her warmly. "Do you miss it?"

"No. Harry was nice and all that, but it's nowhere near as good as what we have and what we're able to make each other feel."

"Although...," Hermione said, breaking the momentary silence, and then wishing she hadn't.

"Although?" asked Ginny, wondering if Hermione _did_ miss something.

"I've had some funny dreams about you," the brunette said, starting to feel embarrassed.

"Dreams, or fantasies?"

"Both," Hermione said. "This particular one I'm thinking of, was long before we got together though, long before...what happened to me."

Ginny remained silent, wanting to know what Hermione's deepest fantasy or dream had been, but not wanting to push her and not get to know.

"You made love to me," Hermione said slowly. "Except you had a...you know."

"I had a penis?" asked an amused Ginny.

"Not exactly," Hermione said, blushing furiously.

"Do you mean a strap-on?"

Hermione's eyes went wide. "I didn't know they..."

"Yes, we have them in the magical world. Actually I think a witch might have invented them hundreds of years ago in fact...some sad, bored old crone in a cave somewhere, probably," Ginny said thoughtfully. "So that's what you dreamt about with me?"

"Yeah," said Hermione, scrunching her eyes shut. "I'm so embarrassed now."

"Don't be," Ginny said seriously. "It's a huge turn on to know how you were thinking of me."

They were silent for a little while again. "Would you ever like me to really do that?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "Part of me is a bit scared of what it might...well, resurface, and part of me would love to know how it feels to have you...doing that to me."

"I think feeling you do that to me, would be very interesting too," Ginny said, then seeing Hermione's expression of uncertainty. "Seriously, I think it would be good. But I won't ever pressure you about it, because quite frankly you more than satisfy me just the way you are."

"I'll never say never to it," Hermione said.

They shared another kiss, then snuggled together to get some sleep.

"Oh my god!" Hermione suddenly said.

"What?" Ginny said, making to sit up, wondering what the matter was.

"I'm engaged to Ginny Weasley?" Hermione exclaimed, as if she had only just realized it.

They both laughed and went to sleep feeling extremely happy and content.


	46. Chapter 46

46

As expected, Ginny and Hermione's engagement had made the Daily Prophet, but rather than being scathing and snooty about them, the report couldn't have been nicer, and was very supportive. Nearly every member of the Harpies had sent them a personal message of congratulations, and some old Hogwarts friends had been in contact too.

Luna had shown up at the Burrow the day after Hermione proposed, hoping to find them there.

"What did I tell you?" Luna smiled widely.

"You told me to tell Ginny what I felt for her, not propose? Oh no, you're not taking credit for seeing that one coming!" Hermione laughed.

"I told you that you wouldn't regret telling her though, didn't I?"

"True," Hermione conceded. "Although I'd never planned on actually telling her. It just sort of happened."

The two old friends had talked for a while, and Ginny, Harry and Ron joined them too, catching up on Luna's work. She had had to visit Hogwarts recently in relation to some of the work she was involved in, and checked on some of the elves that Hermione had placed there while she was visiting.

"Did you see an elf named Feeny?" Hermione asked.

"Feeny? Feeny...yes! I did!" Luna said.

"How is he?"

"Doing well, and loving the kitchens. He apparently likes to boss everyone around, but they let him, because he's invented some wonderful new puddings, which are popular with the children and the teachers. I tried one while I was there," Luna said dreamily. "Hogwarts puddings were always lovely, but this new one I tried was super yummy."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Hermione. "Err, I mean about Feeny settling in, rather than the pudding, that is."

Hermione was delighted to hear that the elf had adapted well and was on a new path, which he seemed to be enjoying.

After a while and a couple of cups of tea, Luna had to leave again. Ginny invited her to the Burrow for Christmas but Luna declined. She was about to leave the country to go travelling to South America looking for a rare creature. Another of the creatures or things that Luna had faith in, where other wizards and witches only laughed at. The thing was, everyone who knew the blonde-haired woman well, had learned that what she said was invariably the truth, laced with highly intelligent observance. If she thought there was a chance of seeing a rare creature in South America, then it was probably true.

They all wished her a safe journey and promised her she would get an invite to the wedding, well in advance so she could make sure she could be there.

XXXXXXXXXX

Christmas arrived like a speeding Hogwarts Express and no one knew where those few days had gone.

As much as Hermione would have liked to have had a Christmas with just Ginny at the cottage, a huge part of her wanted to be at the Burrow with her adopted family. _My future in-laws_, she thought with pleasure rather than dread.

Everyone, including Harry were going to arrive at the Burrow on Christmas Eve. They all expected Mrs. Weasley to find them jobs to do around the house, in one capacity or another.

Ginny and Hermione packed a few things into a bag, and packed their gifts for everyone too. Hermione had a last look around their bedroom, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, although it would be simple enough to come back and get it.

"Are you ready yet, Herm?" Ginny called up the stairs.

"Yes," Hermione said as she appeared at the top of the stairs, and descended.

As she walked into the living room Ginny stood there facing her and held out a little wrapped gift to her.

"I wanted to give this to you here," the redhead said. "Before we get to the crush of the Burrow."

Hermione looked at her, and at the gift. She dropped her bag to the floor and began to unwrap the small box. She opened it and gasped, then picked up Ginny's left hand to look at the ring on her finger.

"How?" she said, as she was looking at an identical ring in the little box in her hands.

It had the same stones, the same gold band base, and it even had the same little scratches from age and wear.

"George helped me, and we found a wizard jeweller in Hogsmeade able to replicate any item using the same base metals and gems as the original."

"When did you get the time to go there?"

"Yesterday, afternoon," Ginny grinned. "You knew I was popping to Diagon Alley to get a gift for Ron, but I actually went to see George. He found up this wizard for me, and we went together. It was done there and then as I waited."

"I'm speechless," Hermione said, studying the ring.

"I hope you like it?" Ginny asked nervously. "Mum said your eyes lit up when she showed you the ring to give to me? If you don't like it I can get you something else, but I wanted you to have a ring too, it's only right, and I thought it would be cute to have identical ones and all that," she babbled on. "But it's important it's something you like, you know and...

Hermione cut off Ginny's nervous rambling, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her on the lips.

"I love it," she said, looking directly into Ginny's eyes. "It's perfect."

Ginny took the box from Hermione, removed the ring and got hold of Hermione's left hand, gently sliding the ring onto her finger, before bringing the hand to her lips to kiss the ring and seal her love to her fiancée.

"Of course, now, I'll be flashing my hand around at every opportunity," Hermione grinned.

"As long as you're not flashing anything else in public, I'll be fine!" Ginny laughed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Christmas was truly wonderful at the Burrow. Both Ginny and Hermione had felt like little girls again. Somehow Christmas or birthdays at the Burrow always brought out that feeling in them all, and Mrs. Weasley was very happy to oblige with her usual warmth and love in abundance.

They all sat in the living room with a pile of presents in the centre of the room, with a view of taking turns to open them.

Hermione hadn't had an opportunity to show off her ring yet, as Christmas Eve they had been put to work, making sure everyone had clean sheets and towels in their rooms, and no one had really noticed except George so she was looking forward to showing it off.

"I've already opened my gift from Ginny," she said.

"What did she get you?" Mrs. Weasley asked, interested.

"This," Hermione said, proffering her left hand for the older woman to look at.

"What?" Mrs. Weasley said, doing as Hermione had done, in looking to see if Ginny was still wearing the ring.

Ginny saw her mother trying to look, so held up her left hand and waggled it to show her she was still wearing the original ring.

"How on earth...?"

"George and Ginny managed to find a wizard jeweller in Hogsmeade able to do it," Hermione said, beaming. "Isn't it brilliant?"

"Amazing!" Mrs. Weasley said, looking at Hermione fondly. "I'm very touched that you liked the ring so much. It's all very romantic."

Everyone rolled their eyes, with Ron doing a mime of gagging. However everyone in the room all came over to take a look, with Bill, Fleur, Harry and Mr. Weasley wanting to see the rings side by side, and being truly impressed by the work.

They unwrapped their gifts and had many laughs, and some strange surprises. Mrs. Weasley had been busy with her line of knitwear again, but it just wouldn't be Christmas without a hat and glove set or some bedsocks, or a scarf from the needles of the woman. However she did go very mushy as she contemplated all the babywear she would be knitting for next Christmas. This was a cue for Ron to mime more gagging.

George had given everyone something from his shop, thankfully not anything likely to cause vomiting or some other ailment, but some of his top quality range of sweets and some fascinating storage tins he got everyone that worked similar to Hermione's charmed beaded bag, and held much more than their small four-inch-squared size.

Ron's gifts could often be lame, but he had bought some nice things for people this year; he bought all the women chocolates which was always a winner. He gave his father a muggle forty-piece spanner and wrench set, which Arthur Weasley was thrilled with, and everyone could tell he was excited to go and try the set out at the earliest opportunity.

Ron gave Harry a special quill which never needed ink. "As long as it's not like Umbridge's 'you won't need ink' type of quill?" Harry said laughing.

Ron gave Percy and Bill leather bound journals with a Gryffindor lion embossed into the leather, which seemed to please his brothers very much. He gave George a journal too, with his shop logo embossed into the leather. George kind of handled it like it was a poisonous snake to begin with, making fun of himself for not being that well organized.

Hermione, predictably had chosen books for a couple of people. Another household one for Mrs. Weasley which had recipes and cleaning tips using muggle methods. She got Mr. Weasley a book on car mechanics; for Harry, she gave him a brand new copy of "Hogwarts: A History", as the man had been saying he had lost his school copy and would actually like to read the book now, after all these years. He was a little surprised to find that this particular new edition had an account of the battle they had been involved in.

For Ron, George, Percy and Bill, she gave ties; having seen their odd assortment of ties at the Harpies' champion's party, she chose some very nice, stylish ones for them, which were received very well. She bought Fleur a range of products in a small wicker basket to help her pamper herself as her pregnancy dragged on; anything from a mint spray to cool hot, tired feet, to aromatherapy items. It was all muggle items, but Fleur tried out the foot spray and loved it, immediately feeling the benefit of it.

Hermione had been a little stuck, not knowing what to buy for Ginny and feeling unable to top her surprise proposal. However she went for simple and sentimental, and had made a montage of photos and had it framed. The photos were of them both from Hogwarts to the present, with a central photo of them together, which had been taken on the last weekend meet-up they had had at the Burrow, which the brunette had asked Mrs. Weasley for. Ginny loved it, and thought it was very cute. The photo version of 'Ginny and Hermione' in the middle of the photo frame, kept hugging each other, which made everyone laugh and made George wonder if you watched them long enough, if they did anything else; to which Ginny slapped him...good-humouredly though. Hermione also got Ginny an assortment of fruity-smelling soaps, shower gels and lotions from the muggle Body Shop. This caused the room to do a lot of sniffing to inhale the various scents from the items, as Ginny passed them around for everyone to look at.

Harry kept his presents simple, chocolates for two of the women, although they were muggle branded ones which made them a little more exotic to the likes of Mrs. Weasley and Fleur. He gave Mr. Weasley a cordless drill, which he had worked out a way to keep it charged using magic, which he was explaining to a thrilled Arthur Weasley.

For Bill, George, Percy and Ron he also kept things simple and got each a box set of muggle drinks, to suit the person. Percy had a selection of fine wines, to suit the more sophisticated personality he was always trying to convey. George, he gave a selection of strange coloured and flavoured soft drinks and alco-pops, knowing that the man would start to think of making a magical equivalent, and they would give him no end of ideas. For Ron he chose a selection of muggle beers, a nod to Ron giving him a box of wizard beers for his birthday. To Bill he gave a box set of various whiskys as Harry knew the man liked firewhiskey, so it was a sure bet he'd like these.

"I hope you two don't mind," said Harry, looking to Ginny and Hermione. "But I've bought you a joint gift, for both of you."

He handed over a box; Hermione let Ginny open it. It was a top quality magical camera.

"Wow!" Ginny said, looking it over.

"I know you've probably got a muggle one somewhere Hermione, but I don't think you two have got one of these. There's nothing like magical photos, as you saw with the gift you gave Ginny, so I thought you should have a camera of your own to take photos whenever you wanted."

"It's fantastic," Hermione said, taking a look at it. "Thank you so much."

Ginny walked over to him and hugged him. Harry looked at Hermione with a look of 'I'm just a friend' reaching his slightly panicked face. So Hermione went over and hugged him too, to stop him worrying.

Fleur and Ginny had taken the 'edibles' route for their gifts. Food around Weasleys was always well received. Fleur's edibles were fancy French chocolates, she had had sent over from France. Ginny gave some very impressive chocolates and cookies which were shaped as quidditch players and items of quidditch equipment.

Percy's gifts were rather boring, like the giver, gifting a range of vouchers for particular shops in Diagon Alley. But in some ways, if you bought something for yourself, then you bought something you liked.

They all sat around talking and looking at their new gifts and enjoying the atmosphere. With a little time before Christmas dinner in the middle of the day, Andromeda and Teddy Lupin arrived. It was a truly family affair, as they all enjoyed watching Teddy with his new presents, and his forever changing hair colour. Morty was with the family, and insisted on helping Mrs. Weasley by laying the table and taking things to it, before taking up his favourite duty; looking after Teddy.

Hermione had a few words with Morty, and although she would always feel a little strange around him, she was pleased things had worked out as well as they seemed to have, both for him and for Andromeda.

At Christmas dinner they all raised a glass, which had become a tradition, to toast everyone missing from their table. Not just Charlie, who was permanently in Romania these days, but especially to those whom had died in the dark days of Voldemort. From Harry's parents, to Dumbldedore, to the deeply sad loss of Fred, Remus and Tonks, Sirius, Andromeda's husband Ted, and even Snape too. A few tears were shed, as silent, wet lines of sadness fell down proud cheeks, and were followed by smiles of determination and happy memories from fierce loving hearts.

Looking at how Ron ate during Christmas Day, it appeared he was making sure he ate the portions for everyone who was missing.

At the end of a tiring, but enjoyable day, Ginny and Hermione got into bed, feeling several pounds heavier, cuddling up together.

Hermione thought they were like pigs snuggling up in a sty after eating from a full trough, and gave a giggle, because it made her think of something else.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"I was thinking about happy pigs, full of food and it reminded me that Prew called you a 'cow'!"

"And that's funny?" asked a mildly ruffled Ginny.

"She actually called you a 'lucky cow'," Hermione tittered.

"Should I be insulted?"

"No, no. When she found out, you and I were an item, she said you were a 'lucky cow'," Hermione said, feeling really silly. "I told her you weren't a cow, but a goddess in bed."

"What was her reaction to that?"

"Deep forlorn disappointment," Hermione giggled. "Almost needing therapy, type of disappointment."

"Good." Then Ginny asked cautiously. "You weren't ever tempted to try her out, were you?"

"Absolutely not!" Hermione said snuggling closer to Ginny. "You're all the woman I want, and will ever want."

"Good," said Ginny again. "Then you won't have to visit me in Azkaban, from having used Prew's head for bludger practice."

They both snorted with laughter, before settling down for the night.

_See? We're still like well-fed pigs, having a last snort around before keeling over to sleep,_ Hermione thought, grinning.


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: This is the final two chapters, an arc called "Family". Thanks for reading this and sticking with it. A lot of it had been a bit of self-indulgent fluff, but it was fun to write and to share. I knew how I wanted to start it and how I wanted it to end, but the middle just kind of happened and wrote itself. I'm sure there have been mistakes here and there, most I have tried to iron out. But as long as it makes a little sense that's the main thing. ****I hope to write other stories in the future, whenever I get another brainstorm or slightly wacky idea...it might be tomorrow or next year, who knows?**

**Anyone coming back to re-read this, might notice a change here or there to this chapter. Something rather weird happened to this file and chapter and I didn't have the final version saved elsewhere and had to remember any bits and pieces to alter it again and repost it. I think it's mostly the same...nothing major missing.**

47

Hermione brushed a piece of lint from the front of her clothing, and took a deep breath. Her fingers felt fidgety and she flicked at imaginary pieces of fluff this time. She went to run a hand through her hair, then stopped, remembering how long it had taken her to get it just right that particular morning. She rocked back and forth on her feet, checking that her feet were comfortable in the shoes she had chosen.

"You'll be fine, Hermione," said Harry, trying to reassure himself, as much as his friend.

Hermione Granger had faced dangers for most of her life, faced death many times, and had been within moments of actual death less than a year ago. She had beaten back darkness time and again, both from external forces and within herself, and yet today standing side by side with one of her best friends, she was terrified, and ready to poke someone, if they so much as sneezed.

Another deep breath, which when exhaled sounded like a weary sigh. She began to think she could hear things and kept flicking her head from side to side, to catch a better angle to hear with. Alas the noises she heard, were out of her hearing range at the moment, and it was worse sensing the presence of those noises and not being able to really hear them, than being closer to hear it all clearly.

"How much longer?" she asked to the air as much as to Harry.

"We'll get the signal, when it's time," the man said, a little weary himself.

The brunette stood on tiptoe to get a better look out of the window from this upstairs room, but she couldn't see any signal yet.

"Hermione?" Harry asked. "How did you stay calm when you sat exams?"

"What?" she replied flustered. "I just did them. I knew I had the answers to everything that would possibly be asked and believed in myself to remember it all and know the information when it was asked for. Why ask that now?"

"It's just, it might help if you think of it as an exam that you know the answer to," said Harry shrugging his shoulders. "You know what you'll face out there, and the answer to it."

"Hmm," said Hermione. "That's a very good point. Arrghhh! I'm being irrational and ridiculous today!"

"I hadn't noticed?" Harry laughed, ducking a playful slap from his friend.

As Harry straightened up again he looked through the window from his position and saw a flame rise up into the sky.

"The signal!" he said. "It's time."

"Oh god, I need the loo now," Hermione said.

"No you don't. You didn't need it five seconds ago. You'll be fine," Harry said, getting hold of her hand. "Now come on."

They Apparated the short distance to the marquee outside, appearing in a curtained off side wing, set out especially for them of the lefthand side. There was red carpet on the floor, leading into the main part of the large tent. There was an identical wing on the opposite side of the marquee. Fleur greeted them as they arrived, having arrived in the wing a little earlier to make sure things were ready for them.

It was a wonderful afternoon on the last weekend in May and standing, still feeling twitchy and nervous, Hermione knew that Ginny would probably be in the same state in the opposite wing, before in a short moment's time they walked to the centre of the marquee to get married.

The planning had been simple, using similar ideas as were used at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Hermione had found Mrs. Weasley only mildly overbearing, and was relieved to leave most of the organizing in her capable hands.

Ginny had had a long quidditch season, with the Harpies having a long run to the European Cup semi-finals, only losing out by a cat's whisker to the eventual champions the Vratsa Vultures. It had been disappointing to see the Harpies lose after such a great season, but other things were to come in Ginny's personal life, and it took off the edge of losing.

Mrs. Weasley had done a magnificent job in the circumstances, after also having the birth of her first grandchild at the beginning of May to contend with. A beautiful granddaughter, who Bill and Fleur named Victoire in tribute to the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione was sure that Fleur was glad the wedding was scheduled in the same month, as it meant Mrs. Weasley didn't have time to try and live at Shell Cottage to interfere with Fleur's mothering techniques.

Early on in the planning of the wedding a point had come up at one Sunday dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Ron and Harry, about some of the finer details.

"Hermione, dear," Mrs. Weasley had said. "You don't have to have it, but as Ginny will have her father, it would be nice if you had someone to give you away?"

"You'd have to give her away, you won't get anything for her!" said Ron, snorting.

"Ronald, if you want to attend this wedding, where there will be lots of eligible women, I might add, then kindly shut up!" said Mrs. Weasley.

Oddly, Hermione had found it funny, and couldn't stop a smile reaching her lips. Ron didn't mean it, at least she didn't think he did.

"So, anyway, someone to give you away?" said Mrs. Weasley. "Had it been...well someone else you were marrying, Arthur would have been honoured to do the job, but he's going to be with Ginny."

"I hadn't thought about it," Hermione said honestly.

"What about Bill, or George? You've always got on well with those two haven't you?" the older woman suggested.

"That's true, I've thought of them as brothers for a long time."

"Can I suggest someone?" said Harry, as everyone around the table all looked at him. "What about, well...me?"

"Harry?" Hermione asked. "Really? Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it." he said.

"But wouldn't you feel...you know, odd about it?" Hermione asked candidly.

"I'll admit, I'm sure I'll feel a bit of heartache not seeing myself marrying, you, Ginny," he paused, looking at his former girlfriend. "But I would like to do it, if you want me to?"

"Harry, if you're sure, then I'd love for you to give me away," said Hermione beaming.

"OK, that's settled then," Mrs. Weasley said, clapping her hands in a satisfactory manner.

So here they were, Hermione in a lovely classical ivory dress, which reached the floor and had a medieval bodice to it with finely detailed embroidery, running up from the bodice to the lovely lace shoulders and sleeves. She wore her hair down and had it styled so it fell just below her shoulders perfectly, with deliberate waves, and no sign of the bushy problems she normally had.

And Harry was looking particularly handsome in a tuxedo, rather than more traditional wizarding robes.

From their place, standing in the wing, they could hear the mumbles of chatter from all the people waiting next door in the main part of the marquee.

Fleur was acting as a maid of honour, wearing a simple yet truly lovely skyblue dress of shimmery satin. Ginny's maid of honour was going to be Luna, in the same style dress as Fleur, with both blonde women being ecstatic to be involved. It might have been just under a month since Fleur gave birth, but you would never know it; she looked her stunning herself, as usual, but with an even more evident radiance to her.

Fleur had hugged her, but took great care not to crease the dress or smudge any make-up. The Frenchwoman had tears in her eyes already, and they hadn't got to the ceremony yet.

After what seemed like hours to Hermione, when she was literally hopping from foot to foot and positive she needed the toilet, they heard the entrance music start.

"Here we go," Harry said, smiling to his friend and Fleur.

Fleur placed a beautiful bouquet into Hermione's hands as she positioned herself behind her soon to be sister-in-law. The bouquet had white and gold roses and carnations, simple and pretty.

Harry held out his right arm for Hermione to grasp, noticing that her hand was shaking he placed his other hand over hers as they began to walk forward.

As the curtains to their wing were magically drawn back to let them through, Hermione looked straight ahead to the opposite wing's entrance as Ginny, her father and Luna walked forward. Mr. Weasley mirrored Harry with Ginny on his left arm, so that when they met and turned in the middle, the two women would be side by side.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, as she looked at her fiancée. She was dressed in a stunning silk ivory floor-length dress, with long white sleeves, with wide dropped cuffs and an embroidered tied belt, which accentuated her hips and waist. It was again medieval in style, but a classic was exactly that, a classic. Ginny's hair was down, and hung down her back with strands taken from the sides, plaited and tied back, with tiny white flowers woven into the plaited hair, making it look like she was wearing a tiara.

Ginny looked to Hermione, and she smiled deeply, never looking happier or so elegant. Hermione fell in love with her all over again in that very moment. Mr. Weasley smiled at her as well and Luna looked like she was having trouble stopping herself from bouncing up and down with excitement as she followed Ginny into the marquee.

The two small processions met in the middle before the wizard, who would perform the ceremony.

"You look gorgeous," Ginny said to her.

"So do you!" Hermione replied.

As of yet, neither had had eyes for anyone or anything else, than each other, but as they turned to pass their bouquets to Fleur and Luna behind them, they saw all their friends and family standing for them.

The Weasley's, with Mrs. Weasley wearing a fabulous blue outfit with matching hat, and her boys; Bill, holding a sleeping Victoire in his arms, Percy, George and Ron. All the Weasley men were actually looking smart in a variety of suits in the wizarding style but all seemingly wearing the ties Hermione had bought them for Christmas. Ron gave her a half smile, looking nervous himself. Charlie was actually there too, and gave them a thumbs-up.

The other people packing the marquee, included Andromeda and Teddy, who was on his best behaviour. Most of the Harpies team and some of their old Hogwarts connections attended. The latter group included former teachers McGonagall and Flitwick, and of course their dear friend Hagrid; with Neville heading a large group of former school mates, with the likes of Dean, Seamus, Padma and Parvati, Katie, and Angelina, who had long been rumoured to be sweet on George and he sweet on her.

There were people from the Ministry, which included Kinglsey Shacklebolt himself and of course Prew, who did look rather stunning in a charcoal pinstripe suit with a bright blue cravat. Madam Rosmerta was present also, as she was taking care of overseeing the bar and the catering, which Ginny and Hermione had agreed to in public to Mrs. Weasley, while in private they had laughed over how roving Rosmerta's eye would be over the guests and which ones she would get lucky with. Both Morty and Kreacher had offered their services to the catering for the day, although Morty would probably be on Teddy duty for most of it.

And of course, no Weasley family function would be complete without Auntie Muriel, sitting there in a bright purple outfit and big hat, so powdered over with make-up that she looked like she had been dipped into a vat of flour.

The officiating wizard was the same little man who had taken Dumbledore's funeral, and so many others and had taken Bill and Fleur's wedding too. Mrs. Weasley recommended him and it was just possible that he was the only registrar wizard that did this kind of thing and had probably presided over every witch and wizard's ceremony for life or death for the last few decades.

The music stopped, and the guests sat down, as the wizard cleared his throat, checked his notes in his ceremonies book and made to begin to speaking.

Hermione's heart was still trying to jump out of her chest, beating a percussion tune on her ribs. She closed her eyes for a second. _Is this really happening?_ she thought. _Am I really marrying Ginny? Today? Woah! Pinch me!_

"I'm sorry, what was that, dear?" the little old wizard asked quietly.

Hermione opened her eyes and realized that she must have said the last bit out loud, and looking to her side she could see Ginny's shoulders shaking slightly as the redhead tried not to laugh.

"Sorry, I'm ready," she said, blushing. Harry gave her arm a squeeze of support, which kind of acted as a reality check, that she wasn't dreaming.

"Everyone," the registrar started. "We are present here today, to witness the marriage of these two fine witches standing before us..."

The wizard went on to say what deserving two witches they were, to find this happiness and that the way in which they conducted their lives was an inspiration to everyone.

Right from the beginning of the wedding plans, Hermione had seen that a magical wedding had followed similar guidelines as a muggle one. They chose to have no religion or cultural specification and wanted it to be about them, their families and their love. So in many ways it was the same as a modern muggle wedding, even to the type of vows. It would be a fairly short ceremony as they didn't want any hymns which would only make everyone feel awkward trying to sing them, so everything focused on what the happy couple said to each other. There was no preference as to which person said what when, being both women, so they decided Ginny would go first, as 'G' came before 'H' in the alphabet. They opted for traditional followed by their own words.

At a nod from the registrar, Mr. Weasley placed Ginny's right hand onto the registrar's book, and Harry placed Hermione's left hand on the same place. The wizard then placed Hermione's left hand into Ginny's right, and they turned slightly to face each other.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley," the wizard said. "Do you take, Hermione Jean Granger to be your wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do you part?"

"I do," said a determined Ginny, looking straight into Hermione's eyes.

The registrar changed the hands over so Ginny's left hand was held in Hermione's right.

"Hermione Jean Granger," he said. "Do you take, Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do you part?"

"I do," Hermione said, just as firmly. Her breath visibly hitched as she heard for a second time the question of death parting them. Her eyes filled with tears, already.

"Now for your own vows and the giving of rings," said the registrar.

The two women turned to face each other, looking into the other's eyes as they spoke or listened. As before, Ginny went first and held Hermione's left hand to slide the gold wedding ring onto her wedding finger. Both wore their engagement rings on their right hands, and both would have identical wedding rings; gold in a celtic design with the words, _'amor in aeternum'_ engraved inside; meaning simply 'love forever'.

"Hermione, I'm thrilled beyond words that you are to be my wife and I am to be yours," Ginny said. "To live with you and love you; to stand by your side, and sleep in your arms. I will be the very best I can for you and bring out the best in you too. I promise to laugh with you in good times, to share the burdens with you in bad, and I'll be your confidant always; I'll wipe your tears away with my hands, and comfort you with my body and with all that I am. I will share with you all my riches, honours and victories. To marry you is such a precious gift that I have been given. I love you with all my heart, body and soul and always will."

Hermione, couldn't stop a tear from sliding down her cheek, and just as Ginny had promised, she raised a hand to Hermione's cheek and gently wiped it away. Hermione took a deep breath, composed herself and went into her vows, as she slid the ring onto Ginny's finger.

"Ginny," she started. "Where there has been cold, you have brought warmth; where my life was dark, you have brought me light. When I was lost, you found me and helped me to find myself again. My body, my mind, my heart, even my soul, belonged to you long before this. And it shall be yours long after this. All that I am and all that I have, I give to you without hesitation. I will support you in every endeavour, as we face all life has to throw at us: the highs and lows. I will love and comfort you, hold you close and be thankful for every day I have you in my arms or when I am in yours. I am so honoured to be your wife and for you to be mine. I will love you forever."

Both women had tears down their cheeks now, and Luna and Fleur were openly sniffling into tissues, with Mr. Weasley and Harry, both looking a little red and wet around the eyes. The registrar smiled broadly, as the two women turned slightly towards him again.

"Having given your vows and with the exchanging of rings before us all," he paused for effect. "I announce that you are married, may you have much happiness. And now you may kiss the bride."

"Which one?" they heard Ron shout out, causing laughter.

Ginny and Hermione turned to face each other again, looking at each other, both completely overwhelmed and beyond happiness.

"Come here, you," said Hermione, as she threw her arms around Ginny and pressed her lips to the redhead's who responded with equal fervour. They kissed passionately, giving their depth of feeling to the other.

The guests all broke out into tumultuous applause and several wolf whistles could be heard. That didn't bother Hermione and Ginny one bit as they clung to each other.

"Do you two ever come up for air?" they heard Fleur say next to them.

"It's fascinating to watch," said Luna. "It would be interesting to gauge the air versus saliva transferal in such an embrace," the former Ravenclaw seriously considered.

"I do know that neither of them will be able to walk tomorrow!" Fleur said, in a deliberately scathing way, for humour.

Harry just kind of coughed, and after another loud wolf whistle from George as the Weasley's approached the couple, they finally broke apart, openly shedding tears, and almost unable to take their eyes off each other.

"Plenty of time for all _that_ later," George said in a funny voice. "Now you have to give all of us some attention."

Mrs. Weasley was in a mess of tears and squeezed the air out of the two witches as she embraced them.

"So beautiful," she said. "Marvellous, what a wonderful thing. I'm so proud of you both, so very proud."

The newly married couple slowly made their way through the marquee, stopping to have a word with everyone, and feeling almost bruised by the end of it, from all the fierce hugs. Fleur and Luna kept hold of their bouquets so the two brides had their hands free. They had decided that rather than letting the bouquets be thrown to the guests, that they were to be placed on Fred's grave, to include him on their big day.

Hagrid's hug was predictably one of the more painful, and also predictably he had been sobbing into a big red and white spotted handkerchief.

"That were so beautiful. I 'ope you 'ave much happiness together," the big man sniffled.

Mrs. Weasley was following close behind when they stopped at Auntie Muriel.

"Yes, not bad," the elderly witch said, looking them over. "You should have had your hair tied back," she said to Hermione. "And silk with that belt, dear?" she said to Ginny. "Was that a wise choice with those hips?"

The two young women kind of smiled, through gritted teeth, both knowing that Muriel was a cantankerous old battleaxe at the best of times. Mrs. Weasley had always taught Ginny to accept the old lady and not argue with her, even if she did talk nonsense and was insulting.

"Muriel, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, walking up beside her daughter and new daughter-in-law. "If you can't say something nice, shut your cake-hole! I won't have this special day poisoned by your grumpy and quite frankly, jealous, ramblings. If you don't like it, take your carcass elsewhere!"

Ginny looked at her mother and then at Hermione, her eyebrows climbing higher and higher up her forehead. Both girls didn't know what to say; Mrs. Weasley never told off Muriel, NEVER!

Muriel had not moved a muscle and made no attempt to Apparate. Instead she looked the young women over again, and with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp, as if the words were almost bitter flavoured on her tongue she said.

"You look lovely together, I hope you have much happiness."

Ginny and Hermione nodded and thankfully were able to move on. After getting through everyone in the marquee, Mrs. Weasley led them to the house, while the marquee went through the process of being magically changed to a buffet reception and dancing area. They had all agreed that a seated reception with a proper meal was too stuffy and impractical with so many people.

Once in the Burrow with the door closed, Hermione gave a huge sigh and sat on a chair at the table, and leant over and rested her head on her arms, shutting her eyes. Ginny sat next to her.

"Are you alright, love?" asked the redhead.

"I'm so tired," Hermione mumbled. "Incredibly happy, but exhausted. I think it was all the nerves I had beforehand."

"You were nervous?"

"Yes," she moved her head to look at her wife. "Not in a bad way, in a 'I can't believe it's happening' type excited surreal way. Were you?"

"Not really, just very excited," said Ginny, also looking tired and catching a yawn before it developed. "But I'm used to the nerves, to an extent, going to play before thousands of people. But I have to say this was the best moment of my life."

"Me too," Hermione said, as she sat up and put her arms around Ginny.

Mrs. Weasley came over to them, after having redone her make-up, from the mess her tears had made of it.

"Why don't you two have a quick nap?"

"Huh?" they both answered surprised.

"You both look dead on your feet. There's time before the reception starts," Mrs. Weasley said kindly. "Go on, get some rest. I'll come and knock on your door in a little while, when everything is ready."

Hermione nodded, and took hold of Ginny's hand as they went to the stairs. Once inside Ginny's bedroom, Hermione picked up her wand, magicked the bed into one and flopped down on it. Ginny set a locking charm on the door, so no one barged in and disturbed them. For once, it was genuinely because they needed some rest, not sex.

Thankfully Hermione knew a spell to get out the worst of the creases to their dresses before they went back for the reception. Hermione hadn't liked being without her wand during the ceremony, and insisted Harry have hers with him. It wasn't that she expected trouble, she just didn't like being wandless. It had meant she had to be more careful before the ceremony as she couldn't quickly do a spell to sort out creases or unruly hair. It wasn't a problem now, however.

The night before the wedding, Hermione had slept in a room with Fleur, and Mrs. Weasley had slept with Ginny in here. It made for strange and amusing room groupings, with Bill and Mr. Weasley in the same room with baby duties with Victoire. It was only for one night but Hermione couldn't see the point of it. Mrs. Weasley had insisted and babbled on about tradition though. It had all added to making sleep more difficult for both of the women, not just from excitement or nerves, but also a break from routine.

Ginny joined her on the bed, stretching her legs out, and as they normally did, the two women got closer together, draping an arm around each other. Hermione placed a tender kiss on Ginny's lips.

"I'm married to Ginny Weasley," Hermione said in a quiet voice. "Merlin's pants! I'm married to Ginny Weasley!" she said louder.

Ginny held her tighter, laughing softly. "I seem to be married to Hermione Granger!" she said.

Hermione snorted. "God, anyone would think we hardly knew each other if they heard all that?"

They were both silent for a few moments as they tried to take in just what had happened on this day.

"Ginny?" Hermione said, to get her wife's attention.

"What, love?"

"There's something else I want to tell you."

"I haven't got you pregnant, have I?" Ginny said, making them both laugh.

"No. Although you can keep trying, I won't mind," Hermione said, winking.

"OK, so what do you want to tell me?"

"You're not actually married to 'Hermione Granger'. I've changed my name, officially, to Weasley, as of today," said a very happy brunette.

"What?" Ginny said surprised. "I thought you were happy to keep your own name?"

"I was. But I feel so close to your family and it was something I became determined to do. I've felt more a Weasley for a long, long time now."

"Wow!" the redhead said. "I didn't see that one coming?"

"You're OK with it?" Hermione asked uncertain. "If you're not comfortable with it, I can change it back?"

Ginny kissed her. "It's wonderful. It was never something I thought about, but now you've told me it feels like the best wedding present I've had."

"I'm glad," Hermione smiled. "It's a nice present to myself too."

"Mum will adore you even more now!" Ginny laughed. "Let's not tell her until the reception, I want to see her face!"

With a little more giggling about their marriage, each to a famous witch, acting like besotted fans, and then laughing about techinically both being 'Mrs. Weasley', they shared a couple of quick kisses and then both dropped off into a much needed nap in double quick time.


	48. Chapter 48

48

The wedding marquee had been transformed from a place of ceremony to a place of reception. There was a long table at one end for the main wedding party, and then little tables around the edges of the marquee for the guests to sit and return to with their buffet food, which was set out at the other end of the marquee. This left a big space in the middle to dance later.

A few messages were read out from people who couldn't be there. Mr. Weasley gave a nice speech, which made everyone laugh and at one point where he spoke about watching Ginny grow up, everyone felt weepy including himself. Harry talked about Hermione and Ginny, having known both nearly the same amount of time, and his speech was mostly funny, with Ron calling out comments to add to it.

With the set speeches finished, and a moment before the cake was brought out, Ginny held Hermione's hand and they both stood up. The marquee went silent, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked on in surprise, not really knowing what to expect.

"Hermione has given me a little surprise wedding present," said Ginny smiling. "I say little, it's pretty huge, but I thought we would share it with you. She told me that today she has officially changed her name to Weasley!"

A gasp of delight filled the marquee, and they heard Mr. Weasley say "Wonderful!" just along the table.

"I thought you were keeping your own name?" Mrs. Weasley asked, deeply surprised.

"I _was_ going to," Hermione said. "But I thought about it all. I have felt such a part of this family for many years, since my first stay here. You have all given me so much love and generosity, and with the events of last year, I know I would not be alive today without you all. In truth, I have felt more a Weasley than a Granger for a long time, and it became clear to me, that I would be overwhelmingly proud to share Ginny's name."

A cheer went up in the marquee with a spontaneous round of applause. Mrs. Weasley had jumped out of her seat, her second application of make-up ruined with more tears, as she came and hugged Hermione.

"You dear, dear woman," Mrs. Weasley said hugging her tightly.

"Steady on Mum, let her breathe?" Ginny laughed, then promptly got bear-hugged by her mother too.

The cake was brought in and the two women cut it and had photos takens. There were a few posed family photos taken, although Ginny and Hermione were looking forward to the impromptu ones that others would take later, when people were either not aware of a camera or were more relaxed. They had both muggle photos and magical photos taken, so they could pick and choose which ones they liked best.

Ginny and Hermione had the first dance. The music might have seemed an odd choice to some and it was a muggle song, which Ginny had caught Hermione listening to on an old CD of classic songs several weeks ago. It was "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles. In the planning for the wedding when it came to music for this moment, it was the first song Ginny suggested, surprising Hermione. They both listened to it together to decide for sure, and somehow it almost seemed written for them; the way _they_ interpreted it anyway. Hermione no longer cared that in the muggle world it might have been called "puke-worthy", it was perfect for _them, _and that's what mattered. The brunette helped to work out a way for the song to be played at the reception without needing a huge stereo-system...it just required a simple spell that read a CD just like a CD player did and resonated it to a large space.

The women had both thought the first dance would be embarrassing and not just because of the music they chose; being stared at by everyone and everything. However, once they were there and swaying to the music, it became clear that it wasn't embarrassing and that they were so busy looking at each other, that all the people in the room became irrelevant.

Later in the evening, the two women sat back and decided to watch other people on the dance floor for fun. They spotted Madam Rosmerta dancing with Neville.

"God, I hope he knows what he's doing?" Hermione said for Ginny's ears only.

The redhead cracked up laughing. "Well, if he doesn't know what he's doing I'm sure she'll show him!"

"I always hoped Neville and Luna would get together," Hermione said wistfully.

"You're a matchmaker now, are you?"

"No, not really, but I always had little thoughts about people, other than dirty ones about you that is."

Ginny chuckled at that. "So do you have any other match-ups?" she asked interested.

"George and Angelina IS going to happen, believe me," Hermione said. "Maybe I should give him a shove, like he gave me."

"Yeah, those two would be good together." Ginny said, then gazing over to a different part of the marquee. "Merlin's balls!"

"What?"

The redhead leaned in to Hermione and said. "Prew, 10 o'clock," she said, getting Hermione to look in the correct direction.

Hermione looked and saw Prew dancing with an upright, fairly tall woman. "Bloody hell!" the brunette couldn't stop herself.

"Look where Prew's hand is?" added Ginny.

They were both looking discreetly at Prew dancing with none other than Minerva McGonagall, and the auror had managed to rest her hand on the backside of the Headmistress, with the said woman looking not at all bothered and actually enchanted by the younger woman.

"Surely not?" Hermione asked.

"Have _you_ ever heard of a bloke connected to McGonagall?" Ginny asked, and seeing Hermione shake her head. "No wonder she was fine about us being together?"

"I wonder if Prew knows what McGonagall wants to do as a cat?" Hermione asked, setting Ginny off into a fit of giggles. "This also gives Prew a whole new meaning to 'stroking a pussy'?" added the brunette.

Ginny snorted loudly with laughter. "Oh gods, don't!" a couple of tears of laughter running down her face, which set off Hermione laughing. One or two of the guests looked at them, wondering what was so funny.

"Oh no!" said Hermione suddenly.

"What?"

"Straight ahead, Rosmerta has moved on to her next target."

The redhead looked and nearly choked. "He can't be _that_ desperate, surely?"

They both looked on in amused horror to see Ron dancing with Rosmerta. "She must have a thing for Weasley's?" Hermione said.

It was getting quite late into the evening, and lots of the guests had taken turns to come and sit with the newly weds, and they themselves had had another dance or two.

"Let's go now," Ginny said.

"You're sure? I'm ready to, but if you wanted to stay that's OK?"

"No. We've spent most of the day with everyone. I just want some time with you alone now, and some peace and quiet." said the redhead as she played with some strands of her wife's hair.

"Let's tell your mum, then."

They both rose, holding hands and went to find Mrs. Weasley who was dancing with Harry.

"I hope he's not getting any ideas, because that would just be eww!" said Ginny deliberately, to make Hermione laugh.

"Mum?" Ginny said, when she reached her mother. "We're going to leave now." Mrs. Weasley and Harry turned to look at them, both smiling.

"OK," the older woman said, looking a little sad that the day had passed so fast. "We'll announce you leaving, then go to the house and you can Apparate from there."

"Thank you for everything," Hermione said, hugging her mother-in-law. "This has been the best day of my life."

"It's been a pleasure," Mrs. Weasley said. "Aww, to see you both married and leaving together, so happy..." she tailed off starting to sniffle again.

"Oh Mum," Ginny said, hugging her. "We're not emigrating, we're just going to be at Holyhead."

"I know, but it's such a big moment in your lives."

"We know Mum," said Ginny. "Nothing will really change, we'll still be coming back regularly for your cooking," she smiled at her mother.

After Harry hugged them both, Mrs. Weasley found her husband, who also came over to embrace them, and then he announced the pair would be leaving to start their married lives together.

Everyone stood on either side of the marquee to make a way for them to leave, almost like a guard or honour. There was much clapping, and a few whistles as Ginny and Hermione left, holding hands.

They went inside the house, and made their way to the bedroom, locking the door, with a temporary charm, so that Mrs. Weasley could get into the room tomorrow if she wanted to.

Hermione picked up the only bag they needed to take with them, then wrapped her arms around Ginny and they shared a soft, tender kiss, and as they continued to kiss they both Apparated and appeared in the living room of the cottage on Holyhead.

"Home," said Ginny.

"Yes, I am, wherever you are is home," Hermione replied. "What an amazing day?"

"Yeah, it was fantastic, wasn't it?"

"When I first set eyes on you today, I melted," Hermione said. "I fell in love with you all over again. You looked sooo beautiful."

"It was the same for me when I saw you. I couldn't believe that I was going to be marrying you in just minutes. I could have skipped!"

"Thank you," Hermione said, placing a kiss on Ginny's lips.

"What for?"

"For giving me a chance, for opening yourself up to me, for loving me, for helping me, when others would have grown tired of me and my problems."

"I could never have turned my back on you," Ginny said in a quiet voice. "Never. I discovered all too soon that I was deeply in love with you."

Hermione had a tear roll down her cheek, and like so many times before, Ginny gently brushed it away, with Hermione returning the favour as Ginny too had a tear down her own cheek.

"Let me show you," Ginny said wrapping her arms around Hermione. "Let me love you for the first time as a married couple."

Hermione cupped the redhead's cheeks and kissed her; the kiss becoming more deep and passionate with every moment that passed.

They broke briefly to go up the stairs to the bedroom, hand in hand. Ginny led the way, until she suddenly stopped outside the bedroom doorway, halting Hermione in her tracks.

"What?" the brunette asked.

Without warning, Ginny got hold of Hermione and lifted her in her arms, receiving a surprised squeak from her wife as she walked through into the bedroom, seemingly effortlessly despite carrying her lover. Ginny kissed Hermione as she gently set her down on the bed.

"I had to do that properly," the redhead grinned. "It's supposed to be the doorway into the house, but the bedroom doorway will have to do."

"I didn't think we'd do any of that traditional stuff?" Hermione asked, amused.

"Well, you've lumbered yourself with the name 'Weasley', so the least I can do is carry you to our bed," said Ginny, as they both smiled at each other.

Hermione laid back and pulled Ginny down on top of her, kissing her deeply, moving her hands up and down the redhead's back.

"Hmm, that was so sexy. I had no idea how strong you were?"

"Quidditch has more than a few plus points," Ginny said as she began to kiss Hermione's neck.

Hermione wordlessly summoned her wand, from wherever it was in the bag they had brought back with them, which was downstairs. She flicked it twice and both women were left naked, and their lovely wedding dresses were hanging up on hangers from the wardrobe doors, with their underwear in a tidy pile on the floor. Ginny looked around briefly to see their dresses so neatly dealt with. Hermione then flicked her wand again and all the flowers in Ginny's hair, broke fee and landed on one of the bedside cabinets in a neat heap.

"My my, you _are_ organized, aren't you?" Ginny said in a low purry voice as she continued to kiss, nibble and lick at Hermione's neck, coming up to kiss her lips briefly.

"I might be organized," said Hermione, getting hold of one of Ginny's hands, bringing it to her lips to kiss before guiding it down her body. "But I'm also very wet," she said as she guided the hand between her legs.

They both gave a little moan from the contact. Hermione spread her legs more so that Ginny was lying between them, the redhead's hand straight to work to pleasure her lover.

The two women loved each other with a strength of passion that surprised them both. Everything had even more meaning. Every kiss, every touch, every gasp or moan carried with it a knowledge of how deep their love was to each other, and that they were sealed to each other now. Every orgasm felt weighted with more power from that knowledge too.

It was as if they didn't want to stop the feelings they were experiencing, and made love on and off for most of the night. Sleeping for a time, only to awaken together and search for the other's touch once more, both women tingling with sensations.

When morning came, both had finally slept for a little longer, sated, content and feeling secure beyond belief. They shared a gentled kiss, and smiled, amused at their night of almost continuous passion.

"I think Fleur was right," Hermione said.

"Oh?"

"I don't think we _will_ be able to walk after last night!"

Ginny laughed and kissed her again. "We'll just have to stay in bed then, won't we?"

"That won't help us to walk again any faster?" Hermione laughed.

"No, but it'll be fun."

"I still have only one regret," said Hermione, thoughtfully.

"What's that?" Ginny asked, a little cautiously.

"I really wish I'd told you about my feelings sooner. So many years wasted, when we maybe could have been together."

"I know," Ginny said smiling again. "We can't change that. But it will be nice catching up on those lost years, won't it?" she winked.

"Absolutely!" grinned Hermione. "Although I think we caught up on at least six months of it last night."

That made Ginny laugh, as she wrapped her arms more tightly around Hermione again.

"I love you Hermione Weasley."

"I love you Ginny Weasley." Hermione then gave a little groan of disgust. "Urgh! We're soppy gits! You know that, don't you?"

"Ah, but we're incredibly sexy, horny, soppy gits!" Ginny corrected her.

"Come here, sexy." Hermione said.

She pulled Ginny in for a kiss, and with both women soon finding their chuckles turning into little moans, they set about catching up on some more lost time...

THE END

**A/N: For those unaware of The Bangles the basic lyrics to "Eternal Flame" are below:**

_Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling _  
><em>Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand? <em>  
><em>Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming? <em>  
><em>Is this burning an eternal flame? <em>

_I believe it's meant to be, darling _  
><em>I watch when you are sleeping, you belong to me <em>  
><em>Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming <em>  
><em>Or is this burning an eternal flame? <em>

_Say my name, sun shines through the rain _  
><em>A whole life so lonely, and then you come and ease the pain <em>  
><em>I don't want to lose this feeling <em>

_Close your eyes and give me your hand _  
><em>Do you feel my heart beating, do you understand? <em>  
><em>Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming <em>  
><em>Or is this burning an eternal flame?<em>


End file.
